The other day, I read an article entitled "Energy Crisis," in
my English reading class. I was surprised to read what it says,
because I had not known much about the energy crisis in the
world. This made me think about what the energy crisis is and why
the energy crisis happened. The energy crisis means, in short, a
shortage of natural energy resources as fuel. Generally speaking,
we seldom worry about energy. This indifference means that we
accept it as a matter of course, I suppose. Now we should think
again and take necessary measures against the problem of the
world's limited energy resources. His action will be very
important from now on.
A long time ago I learned that the three major fuels in the
world are oil, coal and natural gas. They are, in general, called
fossil fuels. These fossil fuels generate much energy, especially
electricity which is most necessary for people's everyday life.
However, it is said that there is only enough coal for 450 years
and enough natural gas for fifty years, and that oil might run
out in thirty years. This tragedy is very serious. We have to do
something soon.
I think that until recently we took oil for granted; it seemed
that it would never stop flowing. It was so cheap and plentiful,
and in addition so useful. Therefore, we came to depend on it.
Even now we depend on it carelessly in large quantities. For
example, electricity is generated from oil, and power stations
are fired by it. Moreover many industrial products and many items
in people's home are made from oil. Undoubtedly oil is the most
important energy resource, now. Thus, to run out of oil is a
serious state of things; nevertheless how many people on earth
notice this fact? Although there are two other major fuels, coal
and natural gas, it is said that neither can take the place of
oil. In addition to being inferior to oil, coal mines are
unsightly, and their development has a bad influence on plants
and animals. Natural gas, the purest of the three fuels, is also
hard to access. Anyway these major natural energy resources will
run out someday. This is the real energy crisis.
If there were no energy, how would our life be? Can we imagine
a world in which we do not have electricity? Needless to say, our
everyday life is closely connected with electricity. No
electricity means that we have no heating, no industry, no
lighting, no vehicles, no radio and TV. Now, it is related not
only with them but also with foods: cooking, methods of
cultivation and cultivators. With no electricity all of us will
freeze or starve to death besides having no lighting at night. I
would not like to imagine a world which is just like the Stone
Age. Electricity is indispensable to our present life, so to run
out of energy resources which generate electricity is an awful
thought.
Now governments are searching for a suitable alternative, but
they have not gotten a substitute for these three fossil fuels
yet. Will these natural energy resources truly run out? Is it
impossible for us to get over this crisis even with our high
technology? When I read the article, I knew that nuclear power is
the only real alternative and can solve this shortage of natural
energy resources. We are getting some electricity from nuclear
power plants already. Though I had known a little about this
surprising fact, I did not know that nuclear power began to join
the major energy sources.
As expected, will nuclear power actually become a major
source? I do not expect so, because it is very dangerous and
anything but safe. Recently some people have protested against
nuclear power. That is because nuclear power has many problems.
First, it has radioactivity which injures a person's health, and
in the worst case even takes a person's life. Second, there are
no perfect nuclear power plants anywhere. What will happen when
there is a serious nuclear accident? Third, nuclear wastes will
be a troublesome problem in the future. There are still many
problems; however, some people who support nuclear energy say
that it is far more dangerous to work down in a coal mine or on
an offshore oil rig, and that nuclear power plants are very
strict. Is this opinion true?
I think the most serious problem about nuclear power is that
the development of nuclear energy will be related to the
development of nuclear weapons. Even if we take necessary
measures against the energy crisis, this small planet cannot
survive a nuclear exchange. Asked if we want life for our
descendants, we affirm that we do. We should not forget that
nuclear war must be the greatest threat to their lives. Our minds
cannot yet comprehend the complete destruction of life by nuclear
weapons. Nuclear power is very dangerous. However, if we accept
that we need electricity in the future, then we will need nuclear
energy. "Necessity knows no law." Someday nuclear power may be
the most popular energy source.
Are there other energy resources on the earth? Yes, however
they are not resources, they are natural power! There are many
kinds of natural power, for instance, solar power, wave power,
hydroelectric power, tidal power, wind power and geothermal
power. Although their power is small in comparison with fossil
fuels, they are clean energy. In addition to this advantage,
energy from the sun, the waves, and the wind lasts forever.
However, it is a prohibited thing that we think about these
powers optimistically, because it is necessary for them to be
developed more. Then, we should stop developing dangerous energy
like nuclear power while we may try to develop new energy. What
else can we do? We should concentrate on more economic uses of
natural energy resources. Our fossil fuels will run out someday,
but they will last longer if we do not waste them so much.
To get over this energy crisis may be unexpectedly an easy
thing because we have only to be careful not to waste energy. We
ought to have noticed how we should use energy. The energy crisis
is not a problem of another planet but the problem of our planet,
the earth. We have to think that it is our own problem. Do not
pretend that we are not concerned with this. We have to do
something soon.
by Makoto Ohsawa
