The documentary What Will We Do When Coal Runs Out? | Avoiding Apocalypse | Earth Stories addresses concerns about the dependence on fossil fuels. Based on the narrator, the world economy is much dependent on hydrocarbon energy to run and operate almost all activities. The speaker further states that the rising population will prompt an increase in the demand for petroleum products. The aspect will result in the production of greenhouse gases that are harmful to the people. The rise in consumption of the products might cause depletion of the reservoirs hence making the world without gas, petroleum, and coal. Without these sources of energy, the economy will freeze and human life will take a new course. In response to the question ‘What Will We Do When Coal Runs Out?’ (Earth stories, 2021). The narrator mentioned a number of possible sources of power that can be used to provide unlimited power. They include solar energy, wind power, solar concentrator, and many others which are renewable and have the potential to compete with fossil fuels.
In addition, kites are being used to harvest wind energy for usage. The technology is applied by sailors in the ocean to provide power to propel the vessels. Underwater turbines are further used to harness power from the ocean tides into electricity. Most plants have opted to use underwater turbines to enable them to replace or reduce dependency on diesel engines. Relying on green energy will enable people to limit or overcome challenges associated with the usage of fossil fuels.
After watching the documentary, I realized that people have the ability to change the aspect of depending on fossil fuels and then make other sources of energy using the available materials and the current technology. Solar energy is a significant solution to the threat imposed by the usage of hydrocarbons to provide power. With the energy from the sun, people can opt to have their rooftops covered with solar panels to trap the power (Xiao et al., 2019). If such a practice is implemented, a significant number of households will shift to green energy hence reducing fossil consumption.
The documentary is educating and informative enough to make an individual have a different perspective. I believe people have the potential of reducing the menace associated with fossil fuels on the planet. When individuals, corporations, and governments invest in solar energy, the amount of electricity produced will be adequate to run a section of the economy.
In order for people to reduce the impact of fossil fuels, governments should support the use of zero-emission cars or enforce laws prohibiting the use of private vehicles. The approaches will make it easier to lower the ever-growing carbon footprint in the atmosphere. In addition, using hydrogen energy should be encouraged to complement the other forms of renewable sources. If countries implement the usage of such power, the risk of depleting fossil fuels will be minimized. Apart from the mentioned sources of power, countries having hot springs can harness them to produce geothermal energy to supplement energy needs.
In summary, even though the economy is at risk following the possible depletion of petroleum products, with the current technology, the world is capable of producing a sustainable form of energy from solar, wind, water, and hydrogen. It is important to improve the efficiency of these sources to make them effective and reliable for large-scale consumption. Creating diversity in energy sources will allow for the planet to recover from the rapid global warming that is risking the lives of people and animals.
References
Earth Stories. (2021). What will we do when coal runs out? | Avoiding Apocalypse | Earth stories [Film]. Little Dot Studio Networks.
Xiao, M., Wang, Z., Lyu, M., Luo, B., Wang, S., Liu, G., Cheng, H. & Wang, L. (2019). Hollow nanostructures for photocatalysis: Advantages and challenges. Advanced Materials, 31(38), 1801369. Web.