Chemical energy pertains to the energy stored inside chemical bonds, which is released through exothermic reactions. It is gathered from natural sources, such as coal, crude oil, wood and other organic materials. Now, like other types of energy, it has been a topic of debates around the world. If you want to know whether it is helpful to industries and society, it is best to look into its pros and cons.
List of Pros of Chemical Energy
1. It is abundant.
Chemical energy sources, like coal, crude oil, wood and other organic materials, such as wax, can be found almost anywhere around the world. As such, people can depend on these energy sources.
2. It combusts easily and efficiently.
This type of energy is commonly used, as it is easy to combust. Unlike other energy sources, it produces fuel that is simply combustible, while creating instant power. In fact, it just needs air that contains enough amount of oxygen to ignite the source. Also, the efficiency of combustion greatly depends on the availability of oxygen. So, if a system is well-designed, such as a power generator, it can achieve efficient combustion.
3. It is easy and efficient to use and store.
As it exists in nearly everything that people use, chemical energy is readily available. Naturally used by all living things, it has been a life source since the beginning of time. Its advancements have led to the development of essential products, like long-lasting rechargeable batteries, and research has been performed to be able to use this type of energy to produce sustainable energy resources in the future.
List of Cons of Chemical Energy
1. It potentially harms the environment.
Before resources are converted into chemical energy, combustion is needed, which means that we are producing harmful by-products that may worsen pollution. Since this type of energy is produced from organic materials, there is great risk that the environment will be harmed, especially when too much combustion is done.
2. It is not sustainable.
Generally, chemical energy resources cannot be replenished. For example, many nuclear energy plants use uranium as fuel, which is a very scarce resource that is not found in many countries. In fact, some regions depend on others for the constant supply of this fuel. All of these mean that, once this fuel depletes, nuclear plants will no longer be operational and useful.
3. It is expensive.
The production of chemical energy and the construction of its power plants require a substantial amount of money. This why not all countries are able to afford such a costly energy source. Also, chemical energy plants usually take long time to build and complete, with all the legal formalities that come with it.
Chemical energy is essential in this modern world, but since it comes with definite cons, it is wise to conserve it to help save the environment and stay away from the worst possibilities. No matter how small it is, such an effort will greatly help in the long term.
Crystal Lombardo is a contributing editor for Vision Launch. Crystal is a seasoned writer and researcher with over 10 years of experience. She has been an editor of three popular blogs that each have had over 500,000 monthly readers.
