Daniel+Woodrow

=Energy Resources =

[[image:nuclear-energy-gmr.jpg width="201" height="209"]]
==There are many resources of energy. One type of energy is nuclear power which is pictured above. Nuclear power provided 15% of the world's electricity in 2007. In 2008 there were 430 nuclear power plants around the world. Most commercial nuclear power plants use nuclear fission reactors. Here is a good website that tells how a Nuclear[| fission] power plant works. Their are currently 12 operating power plants in Illinois according to [|this website.] ==

__Wind Energy__

[[image:windfarm2.jpg width="310" height="244"]]
==Another type of energy is wind power. Some of the first wind power ever to be used was in the 1940 to power rural homes. To harness the power of the wind we use what is called a wind turbine. A wind turbine works like this: 1st the wind blows across the massive blades turning them. 2nd the blades are connected to a big rod. 3rd the rod spins a generator that produces electricity. People can actually buy a wind turbine for their house or you could build one. Here is a website that tells you how to build a [|wind turbine]. In 2005 wind power provided 1% of the Earths electricity. ==

__Fossil Fuels__



=== eFossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) provide 85% of the United States energy. We use fossil fuels to power our cars and almost all other means of transportation. Fossil fuels form from dead plants and animals that decomposed over millions of years. Fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources so that means once they are gone you can't get them back. Internal combustion engines in our cars burn fossils fuels here is a website that tells how a [|internal combustion] engine works and a lot of other things about fossil fuels. === media type="custom" key="6119751"media type="custom" key="6119803"

=== Some current events: Recently the oil rig Deep Water Horizon (like the one seen above) blew up off the coast of Louisiana of all 126 workers only eleven are missing. 24 hours after the rig blew up the crews were still trying to put out the fire. Once the rig sank to the bottom of the ocean the oil started to spill at a rate of 336,000 gallons per day thought most of it was burning in the massive flame. This rig which was twice the size of a football field, and was built in 2001 in South Korea. Last year it set a deep water record by drilling just over 35,000 feet down. ===



=== Solar energy the generation of energy from sunlight. In 2008 solar power provided a small .02% of the worlds energy. solar energy was used as far back as 1958 to power satellites in space. On a sunny day the sun gives off nearly 1,000 watts of electricity for ever square meter. Here is a[| website] that tells how a solar panel works. Even though it might not seem like it a Green house is a form of solar energy because it uses the heat from the sun to heat it self. ===

Sources [|http://www.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power.htm] [] [|http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/fossilfuels.htm] [] [] [] [] []