“And that is He who made the sun shining…” (Surah Yunus verse 5).
One of the environmental issues that are constantly debated on is that of greener energy alternatives. The National Environment Week which ended on 27 October last week highlighted this point more than ever. There is no denying that energy is important in our lives. The Industrial Revolution has brought with it a greater dependency on energy. The reality is, without energy, everyone will be adversely affected.
Demands for energy is expected to rise tremendously by the century’s end and with the advent of the 21st Century, mankind should start searching for energy alternatives. There are several reasons why we have to start
thinking about energy alternatives.
Today, the world relies rather heavily on fossil fuel. Roughly 88% of the world’s energy consumption is that of combustion of fossil fuel. As the fossil fuel reserves are finite, the need to find other energy sources is becoming
of great import.
Also, nowadays, society on the whole is becoming aware of environmental issues. Thus, people are looking into “greener” alternatives to energy sources.
However, factors such as availability, affordability, efficiency, reliability and feasibility of the technologies to produce energy have to be considered.
Other aspects like the impact the technologies have on the economy, industry, society and environment also need to be addressed.
Broadly speaking, there are two categories of energy sources, i.e. “renewable” and “non-renewable”. The former comprises solar and biomass sources (for instance hydropower, wind and wave) while the latter includes fossil fuel (natural gas, petroleum and coal) as well as nuclear.
The amount of renewable energy sources is infinite. The search for future energy sources should hinge on these sources.
With the exception of solar energy, anything that moves i.e. produces kinetic energy is a possible energy source.
However, more often than not, these sources cannot be used because of the lack of technology to harness the energy as well as the high cost incurred to produce the energy.
The most promising energy alternative is the sun’s energy. There are various forms of solar energy which include wind, wave and biomass.
These sources offer greener methods to generate electricity and to be used as fuel. By the turn of this century, the technologies to harness solar energy is expected to be cost-effective.
Science has proven that the sun is the source for many living beings. It is also the source of many forms of energy.
Most Muslim countries are located near the Equator and therefore are blessed with virtually continuous sunlight for 12 hours a day. Therefore, a promising energy alternative for these countries is solar thermal electric generation.
Photovoltaic (PV) electricity, to take an example, is produced directly from solar energy. PV is the quintessential energy source, creating electricity with no pollution, no sound and often with no moving parts.
On top of that, PV requires minimal maintenance. This scale of operation for PV is most flexible, from as small as portable electric generators to as large as power plants.
The main source of energy for many countries in Asia is hydropower, which is a type of solar energy. However, in this case, the sun’s role is indirect in producing hydropower.
Evaporated water falls as rain which flows into rivers and turns generator turbines as it returns to the sea. As many Asian countries have a lot of rivers flowing to the sea, it is only logical that this form of energy source be utilised to the fullest.
Solar energy technologies are quickly advancing and progressing by leaps and bounds. Prospects for wider usage of solar energy in the future looks promisingly bright.
Nonetheless, there should be encouragement by governments to ensure that solar energy will be utilised to the maximum, with minimal cost.
In reality, the sun is the best source of energy for mankind. Basically, the true potentials of the sun are really endless. What is required today is for man to develop the technologies and means to tap the endless energy that the sun offers.
What is the scenario of the near future? Hydropower and fossil fuel remain the best – and the cheapest – sources
of energy in the forseeable future.
Governments and policy makers need to realise the fact that fossil fuel reserves, be they coal, petroleum or natural gas, will one day be depleted. So, efforts and measures should be taken now to prepare everyone for that eventuality.
Industries, for instance, must put more emphasis on research and development so that they can come up with technologies that employ and utilise other energy sources effectively and cheaply.
It is expected that among the industries that are to be hit badly when fossil fuel reserves run out are the automotive industry and manufacturers of electrical goods. This is due to the great dependence of these industries on the many forms of fossil fuel and electricity respectively.
It is noted that many Muslim countries are petroleum and natural gas producers. When these resources start to dwindle, these are the countries that would be adversely affected from the economic point of view.
Hence, it would be wise for these Muslim countries to venture into the production of energy alternatives. As stated earlier, most Muslim countries are blessed with constant sunlight and for that reason, solar energy is the choice to begin with.
Already in certain arid deserts of the Arab world, solar energy is being used to harness the sun’s energy and produce electricity. This is indeed a good start.
Meanwhile it is equally important for society on the whole to be educated particularly with regards to the conservation of energy.
Consumers should learn to conserve energy whenever and wherever possible. Energy wastage is a great loss to society.
Everyone should heed the warning in verse 31, Surah Al-A’raf of the Holy Quran which states, “But waste not by excess, for God loves not the wasters”.
There have been a great number of science fictions, short stories and films depicting a bleak future where energy is scarce. If preventive steps are not taken now, then fiction might just turn out to be reality.
