What energy sources would a species use if they didn't have access to fossil fuels?
I'm designing an alien race that hasn't developed electricity yet. Now, one thing about their species is that they haven't discovered fossil fuels on their planet to use, like coal, oil, etc. (The reason for this isn't clear at this moment but I think I can figure something out later.)
So I was thinking, if a civilization couldn't use fossil fuels as a starting point for generating energy, what alternate sources of energy would they begin with? Are renewables an option, or does that require more advanced technology in order to make? Another option, is the fact that plants on their planet have nervous systems, and maybe they could extract energy from them, however I think that still requires technology that is far ahead for their civilization and I'm not certain if such an "energy source" would last long or give enough energy.
So my question is, if a civilization can't use fossil fuels to develop, then what other energy sources exist as a starting point?
Note: I don't know if this is useful information or not, but they use bioluminescent plants to light up their cities at nights instead of making fire or gas lights.
This post was sourced from https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/q/135206. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1 answer
Poop! Poop! And more Poop!
But seriously, dried animal dung is a very common fuel, even today in some places.
You can burn it like wood.
Dry dung fuel (or dry manure fuel) is animal feces that has been dried in order to be used as a fuel source. It is used as a fuel in many countries around the world. Using dry manure as a fuel source is an example of reuse of excreta. A disadvantage of using this kind of fuel is increased air pollution. In India, this kind of fuel source is known as "dung cakes". (ref)
You can power machines with it.
Stirling-Motor powered with cow dung in the Technical Collection Hochhut in Frankfurt on Main (ref)
You can power transportation.
The UK debuted its first poop-powered buses, which will transport about 10,000 monthly comm"‹uters between Bath and Bristol Airport. These "Bio-Buses" are the fruit of a partnership between the Bath Bus Company and Bristol's sewage treatment system, which is run by a company called GENeco. They can travel about 186 miles on the yearly waste of five people, offering a more sustainable alternative to natural gas-powered vehicles. (ref)
You can turn sewage into fuel in a variety of ways.
True to its rich history, poop-based energy has now evolved into a multifaceted and diverse set of industries. In 2004, a waste management facility in Renton, Washington received a $22,000,000 gr"‹ant to build a power plant that could turn sewage into electricity. The same year, a rancher figured out how to power his dairy far"‹m with cow patties and an engineering professor turned pig crap into"‹ crude oil. (ref)
You can turn manure into natural gas.
Natural gas, though a significant contributor to climate change, is the cleanest-burning fossil fuel. Turning cow manure into natural gas would have three big advantages. First, it would turn animal waste, a major source of carbon pollution, into a useful fuel. Second, it would provide a new source of natural gas, which could be used to replace dirtier fuels like coal and oil. Third, it would reduce the need for fracking, the environmentally-destructive practice that extracts natural gas from the earth. (ref)
Livestock waste yields biogas which is refined into natural gas (ref)
0 comment threads
0 comment threads