30-01-2009, 05:12 PM
Ever since the invention of the wheel, mankind has been on a high in terms of the rapid strides made in technology. More so during the industrial revolution in the 19th century when extensive use of natural resources like natural gas, iron ore, coal etc. first started. The quest to sustain the rate of development has caused the depletion of these valuable natural resource. The exhaustible nature and possible environmental hazards of over-using these resources was not thought of then, especially the energy sources viz. fossil fuels, which take billions of years to replenish. There has hence developed a need to rethink strategies and find alternatives to these fast depleting resources. Also these fossil fuels release carbon dioxide and other dangerous gases into the atmosphere causing environmental damage. These impending hazards have made it imperative for humankind to find more sustainable sources or rather renewable (unending) sources of energy. These could rightly be called the non-conventional sources of energy since these have never been utilized in such heavy proportions as the fossil fuels. These may be categorized into (based on the source of the energy): 1.Ocean energy 2.Wind energy 3.Biomass energy 4.Solar energy 5.Geothermal energy. In the present work an effort has been made towards bringing to note the potential oceans possess in terms of serving the needs of humankind in the form of an energy source.