Page 32 - Alternative Energy Systems in Building Design

TRANSITION OF FORMS OF SOLAR ENERGY USE 9

oceanic water at the equator and poles absorbs unequal amounts of solar energy, giving
rise to a water temperature gradient differential that creates convective water circulation
within the oceans. The movement or displacement of lighter warm waters from the
equator to the north and cold water from the north pole to the south is referred to as the
gulf stream or the belt current and regulates continental climatic conditions.
When fossil fuels are burned, the resulting blanket of CO gas, referenced earlier,
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thickens, thus elevating the earth’s temperature through energy entrapment. The entrap-
ment of higher energy within this reflective blanket elevates the surface temperature of
the oceans, thus increasing evaporation and water particulate release into the atmos-
phere. Water molecules, when released into the atmosphere, in turn, act as supplemental
reflective shields, further reflecting the sun’s rays and expanding the inversion layer,
exacerbating global warming.

The Transition of Various Forms
of Sequestered Solar Energy Use

and Their Effect on Societies

WOOD BURNING

From the dawn of civilization until the mid-eighteenth century, humans used wood
burning as their primary source of energy. It was used mainly for heating but also, to
a lesser degree, for smelting and distillation. Owing to a smaller global population, the
CO gas generated did not saturate the absorption capacity of plants and the oceans.
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Consequently, it did not have a significant negative effect on the environment.

COAL BURNING
With the invention of the steam engine in 1750, historically cited as the dawn of indus-
trial revolution, the use of coal as the primary source of energy turned the wheels of
industries, shortened intercontinental travel time, enabled significant transcontinental
transportation, displaced cultures, gave rise to significant advancements in farming
automation, and increased farm production and manufactured goods.
The industrial revolution also resulted in a better standard of living for certain privi-
leged populations in the Western world, improving levels of hygiene and life expectancy.
As a result of the deployment of steam-driven farming equipment and the availability of
larger amounts of food stock, population growth accelerated in an unprecedented manner.
Owing to greater energy demand and the global proliferation of the industrial
revolution, the use of coal created significant atmospheric and environmental pollution
in industrial centers such as London and Paris, causing major human health problems.
Death from pulmonary and respiratory diseases, such as black lung and tuberculosis,
were the norm of the times.