Energy Sources

Energy is, next to water, food and, shelter, the most critical resource for human survival. Humanity’s ability to harness different sources of energy has been essential to the development and spread of human civilization, the expansion of human population, and the increase in the length and quality of human life. In particular, the invention of the steam engine and the internal combustion engine dramatically expanded economic activity, mobility, comfort, and health. Because of its importance to human activity, energy is extremely valuable and [Page 1127]the source of a substantial amount of economic wealth and power. But the negative externalities created by energy technologies have imposed significant costs on society. Many different energy sources exist, all of which have varying amounts of negative social and environmental ...