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ENERGY.
What is energy? Energy the ability to do work is either potential or kinetic. Potential energy is stored energy; when released, it is in a form that can be harnessed to do work. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion, all moving bodies passes kinetic energy. Assume that a reservoir contains a large amount of stored water. The water is a storehouse of potential energy. When the gates of the dam holding back the water are opened, water rushes out. Potential energy has become kinetic energy, which can be harnessed to do such work as driving a generator of electricity. No energy has been lost; it has simply been converted from one form to another. Energy can be extracted in a number of ways. Humans themselves are energy converters, acquiring their fuel from the energy contained in food. Our food comes from the solar energy. In fact, nearly all energy sources are really storehouses for energy originally from the sun. Among them are wood, water, the wind, and the fossil fuels. Preagricultural societies depend on the energy stored in wild plants and animals for food, although people developed certain tools, such as spears. For example, they added to their own energy resources by using fire for heating, cooking, or clearing forestland. Countries that can afford to consume great amounts of energy continue to expand their economies and to increase their levels of living.
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NONRENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES.
Crude oil, natural gas, and coal have formed the basis of industrialization. Today crude oil and its by products account for almost 40% of the commercial energy. Excluding wood and other traditional fuels) consumed in the world. For many years United States oil production had remained at about the same level 8 to 9 million barrels per day. Nonetheless, it is clear that oil is a resource and that oil reserves are very unevenly distributed among the world's countries. Coal was the fuel basis of the Industrial Revolution.
