Question #4: Online Lesson #14

These energy sources appear to be possible and positive renewable energy sources that need to be further developed. What are these three possible energy sources and what problems might be foreseen with their use?

The coming decline of fossil fuel supplies and the increasing concern over air pollution and global climate change have convinced many people that we will need to shift to renewable energy sources that will not run out and will pollute far less. Ocean energy sources is that renewable energy source. It can sustain our civilization far into the future without greatly degrading our environment. And ocean energy can be harnessed by many different methods:

There is a process called OTEC, based off the fact that each day the tropical oceans absorb an amount of solar radiation equivalent to the heat content of 250 billion barrels of oil. The ocean’s sun-warmed surface is higher in temperature than its deep water, and ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) is based on this gradient in temperature. There are two ways in getting the warm surface water: In the closed cycle approach, warm surface water is piped into a facility to evaporate chemicals. These evaporated gases spin turbines to generate electricity. In the open cycle approach, warm surface water is evaporated in a vacuum, and its steam turns turbines and then is condensed by cold water.

We can also harness energy from tides, waves and currents. Erecting dams accomplish tidal energy across the outlets of tidal basins. The incoming tide flows through sluices past the dam, and as the outgoing tide passes through the game, it turns turbines to generate electricity. The principle of wave energy is to harness the motion of wind-driven waves at the ocean’s surface and convert this mechanical energy into electricity.
Powerful year-round ocean currents, like the ones in