Modern energy sources are mainly represented by fossil fuels and nuclear fuels.

Combustion of coal,
natural gas and petroleum products and controlled nuclear reactions dominate industrial and
domestic energy production. This type of energy source is readily available, relatively inexpensive, and
still plentiful. However, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are a growing heating problem worldwide.
These concerns are particularly pronounced when it comes to coal combustion, the most polluting
technology.
Current trends indicate the need to use renewable energy sources to minimize environmental
pollution and CO2 emissions. Different conditions in different parts of the world do not allow
renewable energy sources to be a universally accepted solution. "...a practical renewable energy
system must be coordinated with the specific local environmental energy flows that occur in a specific
area" (Twidell & Weir, 2012). , page 9). Conditions in some areas are very favorable for the use of
solar energy. This type of renewable energy is very cheap and safe to use for heating purposes.
However, the manufacturing and utilizing of solar batteries imply environmental pollutions that limit
possibilities for electricity production.
Wind energy is the most widely accessible and safe alternative to fossils` burning. It is present
virtually everywhere on the globe, providing inexhaustible energy source. The production costs of
wind turbines manufacturing can be easily compensated in a few years of commercial use. There are
limitations that result from the uneven distribution of wind energy through the particular region,
implying the necessity of conditions` modeling. Recent scientific researches have solved this problem:
“Wind power prediction models … enable detailed wind power prediction for wind turbine
prospective sites, even in hilly terrain” (Twidell & Weir, 2012, p. 290). The global wind energy use
grows steadily over the last twenty years, gradually replacing polluting technologies.
Every possible use of energy sources envisages the process of energy transformation, supplemented
by the entropy increase or decrease. Generally, the term of entropy describes the level of order in a
closed physical system. Higher levels of order are associated with lower levels of entropy and vice
versa. Since industrial production and energy use are related to the global environment as a whole,
the physical system to which the concept of entropy applies is the Earth as a whole. When it comes to
electricity production, the level of entropy is determined by the efficiency of the production process.
According to Goel (2005), “in the process of energy conversion, some of the energy is always lost to
the environment. This increases the entropy of the system." (p. 10). Therefore, an increase in entropy
is seen in global climate change because there is a linear relationship between temperature and
entropy.
The most widely used and most inefficient way to generate energy involves ancient steam turbines
that release huge amounts of heat into the environment. This is one of the major drawbacks of
burning fossils and nuclear reactions as an energy source. The accumulated heat, combined with the
shielding effect of CO2, steadily raises the global temperature. In this respect, wind power is not a
serious threat. In fact, the use of wind actually lowers the entropy level. Mechanical friction in power
generation is the only negligible heat source compared to steam generation. The concept of entropy
extends to energy consumption, justifying the need to increase efficiency. The issue of efficiency
concerns the accumulation and storage of energy, which is particularly important when using wind
energy. “Energy accumulation is impossible and energy cannot be stored unless entropy decreases
locally” (Goel, 2005, p. 10). Therefore, efficient storage technology contributes to the reduction of
global entropy.
Traditional modes of transport involve two main energy sources: petroleum products and electricity.
Petroleum derivatives such as gas for internal combustion engines in automobiles and kerosene for
aircraft are the most used and non-replaceable energy sources. of oil consumption. In the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries” (Abmann, Sieber, &
Kulheim, 2012, p. 48). The alternatives in a form of different biofuels or ethanol present no significant
difference with regard to the environmental considerations. Electrical energy is widely used on
railways and on a number of smaller municipal transports.
There are no sustainable alternatives to gas and diesel combustion engines at the moment. The wind
energy, which is certainly beneficial in other areas, cannot be seriously considered for transportation
purposes. One of the possible solutions that help limiting the environmental damage is efficiency
increase: “In OECD countries, which have reached a very high level of development, gains in energy
efficiency have been the main strategy used to decrease energy consumption” (Abmann, Sieber, &
Kulheim, 2012, p. 55). However, this approach does not work in developing countries, where
secondhand cars and lowquality fuel are still dominating. Another strategy is the use of hydrogen as
an alternative fuel. Highly explosive, it nevertheless is environmentfriendly, producing pure water
when burned in a modified combustion engine. However, there is no technology yet for the safe
production and distribution of hydrogen fuel. Major cars` manufacturers take the most practical
approach, producing vehicles that combine traditional combustion engine and electric motor. Some
models are powered by the electricity only. Such an approach greatly reduces the damage to the
environment; however, it implies the need for the roads infrastructure modification in order to
facilitate the cars` charging.
Considering downsides of different energy sources, the coal is worst by far. Along with the high level
of carbon dioxide emissions, it contaminates the atmosphere with a number of toxic chemical
compounds when burned. Over the decades of industrial use of coal, many purification techniques
have been proposed and tested. None of these methods resulted in any significant improvement in
terms of environmental damage. "...we seek technical solutions to the harmful by-products of fossil
fuel use only when we are aware of another threat" (Jaccard, 2005, p. 16). .
However, the use of coal even