2010 Essay Contest Finalist

Entry by Michael Thew

“How Energy Powers the Planet”

Almost everyone in the world uses energy on a daily basis. I doubt that everyone in the world knows where that energy comes from. Not many people even know what energy is for that matter. People need to get informed about energy because we waste a lot of energy and should know how difficult it is to obtain.

Energy is the capacity of a physical system to do work. Useable heat and power are examples of energy. The earth produces energy in many different ways. A few examples include: water via dams, wind via windmills, burning fossil fuels, and geothermal energy that is produced within the earth’s crust. All the different spheres combine to produce enough energy to power the planet.

The hydrosphere is all the water on the earth. Water can produce energy when it’s moving. Dams have been created to convert this natural energy into useable energy. Large turbines inside the dams rotate as the water hits them. The wheel turns, producing energy which is stored and ready to be used by humans. Flour mills were built alongside rivers and waterfalls because machines that crush grain into flour need energy to work.

The atmosphere produces energy by wind. Windmills have been created to convert the wind’s energy into useable energy. When the wind blows, the windmill rotates, producing energy which humans store for later use.

The biosphere creates energy when animals die, thus creating fossils. Humans burn them to create fossil fuels, a source of energy that will soon run out because we don’t have an infinite amount of living things.

The geosphere produces energy by the decay of radioactive materials. Geothermal energy powers volcanoes, geysers, and earthquakes. It is hard to use geothermal energy.

Energy is produced in many ways. It is a precious resource