Energy as a future energy source. Nuclear Energy. Biomass Energy

Energy as a Future Energy Source
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Energy as a Future Energy Source
There ae various sources of energy that occurs naturally, and are classified into two distinct categories: non-renewable and renewable. Non-renewable energy includes coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear, which are in limited supplies. This kind of sources are referred to as non-renewable because they cannot be replenished and are available in scarcity. In addition, non-renewable sources are typically found in the underground layers of the earth and very costly to harvest. On the other hand, renewable energy refers to sources that are replenished by the environment regularly. Renewable sources are preferable to use because they tend to renew within a short period of time, hence reliable and sustainable. Unlike the non-renewable sources, renewable sources are found near the surface of the earth. The five major examples of renewable energy include solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, biomass, battery cells and fuel cells. The paper focuses on the efficacy of nuclear energy and biomass fuels as a non-renewable and renewable respectively.
Nuclear Energy
Nuclear energy is one of the most effective forms of non-renewable source of energy that originates from the chemical forces that holds the nucleus of an atom together. Inside a chemical element such as uranium, there are clouds of electrons that are bombarding around a central nucleus containing protons and neutrons. Since all electronics are characterized by a negative charge, they circle around the nucleus by the positive charge of the protons, hence helping the atoms to hold together (Elliott, 2016). Atoms in nuclei split to recombine and generate large amount of energy during nuclear reactions. For the case of heavier elements, they split in a process called fission to release large amounts of energy. For an atom to split under fission, it has to be hit by a neutron (Elliott, 2016). The neutron is automatically released to hit the nearby atoms, hence triggering a split and a subsequent release nuclear energy. By contrast, lighter elements react by splitting combining its atoms in a process called fusion. Fusion is practically applied by combining small atoms such as Helium and Hydrogen (Elliott, 2016). Fusion reactions have the capacity to release more energy than fission without releasing harmful components in the atmosphere (Elliott, 2016). Commercial generation of energy under fusion is not yet developed due to its high cost involvement. Fusion nuclear reactions are deemed more efficient than fission generated energy because they are limitless, have low pollution level and are non-proliferative energy.
The technology of nuclear energy production was first developed in Manhattan, USA, although it was majorly used in the manufacturing of nuclear bombs in World War II (Neff, 2015). After the World War II, nuclear energy was used to provide energy for submarines and other engines in the army and navy. The technology was later transferred to the public for commercial purpose where it was used to provide electricity used in power plants and households (Neff, 2015). Commercial nuclear energy is harnessed in facilities called nuclear through fission reactions...