ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the primary energy sources and describes representative policy approaches to energy’s environmental and economic quandaries. Energy is the amount of work a physical system is capable of performing. Strictly speaking, energy cannot be created, consumed, or destroyed. Energy can also be converted or transferred into different forms. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. The kinetic energy of moving air molecules can be converted into rotational energy by the rotor of a wind turbine, and then converted into electrical energy by a wind turbine generator. Fission is the splitting of atoms to release energy. Fusion is the combination of atoms, again with the release of energy. Nuclear power can come from the fission of uranium, plutonium, or thorium, or from the fusion of hydrogen into helium. Geothermal energy is heat held beneath the Earth’s crust. This energy can be brought up to the surface to heat buildings or icy sidewalks, or converted into electricity for broader applications.
