(EFE) Energy and the Earth Lesson

Energy and the Earth

Have you ever thought about where energy on Earth comes from? As you recall, energy is never created or destroyed but only changes form; therefore, it had to come from somewhere. Most of our energy on Earth comes from the Sun, but some is left over from the formation of the Earth billions of years ago. Let's follow a chain of events to see how energy flows on Earth and how we ultimately obtain energy from the Sun.

Many other processes on Earth are driven by energy from the Sun as well. The weather we experience, the winds that blow, and the distribution of heat around the globe are all due to energy from the Sun. Due to the shape of the globe, the radiant energy from the sun is not evenly distributed around the Earth. This causes areas near the equator to heat more than areas near the poles. This creates a condition where the Earth is constantly trying to evenly distribute heat around the globe by mass movements of air and water. This is what creates weather patterns and ocean currents that make the world a dynamic place to live.

Every day this struggle to balance heat causes storms to form, currents to flow, and winds to blow. Ocean currents form when warm water encounters cool water. Heat always moves from areas that are warm to areas that are cooler. This sets up patterns where warm waters from the equator move north into cooler waters near the poles. These currents carry heat around the globe, influencing weather patterns and the climate of many areas. Let's look at the country of England for example. The city of London is at the same latitude as Montreal, Canada. Due to the Gulf Stream ocean current, London has a relatively mild climate compared with Montreal. The heat from the ocean current moderates the climate of London to the point that its average temperature is much higher than one would expect in its location.

As you can see, most energy on Earth comes from the Sun. We ultimately rely on the Sun's energy to heat our homes, fuel our cars, and provide the food that we eat. Without the Sun, life as we know it would not exist, and the Earth will be a much different place. Without energy, many of the processes we take for granted cannot occur, and the Earth will not function as it does today. We owe our very existence to the Sun, so next time you see a sunrise, take a moment to appreciate all that it does for us.

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