ABSTRACT
All life on earth depends on the continuous acquisition of energy. The sun provides nearly all renewable energy in the form of radiation. Radiant energy heats the earth, causing convection and contributing in great measure to weather patterns, which transfer water through the atmosphere from oceans and lakes to land and back; this creates the basic environment needed to nurture life. However, life itself depends on the availability of chemical energy, the vast majority of which also is captured from sunlight.
