Portal:Energy
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Introduction
In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek ἐνέργεια (enérgeia) 'activity') is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of heat and light. Energy is a conserved quantity—the law of conservation of energy states that energy can be converted in form, but not created or destroyed. The unit of measurement for energy in the International System of Units (SI) is the joule (J).
Common forms of energy include the kinetic energy of a moving object, the potential energy stored by an object (for instance due to its position in a field), the elastic energy stored in a solid object, chemical energy associated with chemical reactions, the radiant energy carried by electromagnetic radiation, and the internal energy contained within a thermodynamic system. All living organisms constantly take in and release energy.
Due to mass–energy equivalence, any object that has mass when stationary (called rest mass) also has an equivalent amount of energy whose form is called rest energy, and any additional energy (of any form) acquired by the object above that rest energy will increase the object's total mass just as it increases its total energy.
Human civilization requires energy to function, which it gets from energy resources such as fossil fuels, nuclear fuel, or renewable energy. The Earth's climate and ecosystems processes are driven by the energy the planet receives from the Sun (although a small amount is also contributed by geothermal energy). (Full article...)
Selected article
Coal supplies over a quarter of Turkey's primary energy. The heavily subsidised coal industry generates over a third of the country's electricity and emits a third of Turkey's greenhouse gases.
Coal is a major contributor to air pollution, and damages health across the nation, being burnt even in homes and cities. It is estimated that a phase out of coal power in Turkey by 2030 instead of by the 2050s would save over 100 thousand lives. Flue gas emission limits are in place, but data from mandatory reporting is not made public. (Full article...)
Selected image

Photo credit: Björn Appel
A solar furnace can be used to generate electricity, melt steel or make hydrogen fuel.
Did you know?
- The development of renewable energy in Iceland means that by 2050 the country should be the world's first zero-carbon economy?
- World's two largest oil shale-fired power plants (Narva Power Plants) generate more than 90% of power in Estonia?
- NW Natural in Portland, Oregon was the first gas company in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States when it started in 1859?
- The Assistant Secretary of Energy for Fossil Energy is responsible for America's Strategic Petroleum Reserve?
- Despite declines in production in recent years, Victoria still produces almost 20% of Australia's crude oil?
- 4.26 million tonnes of the sun are converted to energy every second by nuclear fusion?
- The first gasworks in the United Kingdom was built by the Gas Light and Coke Company, incorporated by Royal Charter in 1812?
- The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline was a central plot point in the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough?
Selected biography
Born in Ireland, Thomson studied at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. On graduating, he became a mathematics teacher at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. During his life Thomson published more than 600 scientific papers and filed over 70 patents.
As early as 1845 Thomson pointed out that the experimental results of William Snow Harris were in accordance with the laws of Coulomb. Over the period 1855 to 1867, Thomson collaborated with Peter Guthrie Tait the Treatise on Natural Philosophy that unified the various branches of physical science under the common principle of energy. His inventions included the current balance for the precise specification of the ampere, the standard unit of electric current.
In 1893, Thomson headed an international commission to decide on the design of the Niagara Falls power station. Despite his previous belief in the superiority of direct current electric power transmission, he agreed to use alternating current after seeing a Westinghouse demonstration at the Chicago World's Fair.
In the news
- 9 September 2023 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
- The International Atomic Energy Agency warns of a nuclear threat at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant after explosions were heard near the plant amidst the Ukrainian counteroffensive. (PBS News)
- 28 August 2023 – Russian Invasion of Ukraine
- The International Atomic Energy Agency warns that Ukraine's offensive in Zaporizhzhia Oblast has increased the risk of damage to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. (Al Jazeera)
General images
Quotations
- "If we already have the Kyoto protocol, why invent another proposal and not just implement one that already exists? If a country is incapable of implementing the result of an international treaty that has established rules and regulations, it won't end up implementing those rules voluntarily."" – Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, 2007
- "Climate change is a challenge China must cope with to realize sustainable development... Implementing a climate change containment policy may cost a fortune, but the cost will be even higher if we delay. Early action is imperative." – Ma Kai, 2007
- "The consequences of restricting the development of developing nations will be much more serious than the consequences of global warming." – Ma Kai, 2007
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Major categories
National energy supply, use & conservation
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Politics, economics, environment
- Climate change
- Energy conservation
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Energy sources
- Fuels
- Biofuels
- Fossil fuels
- Fusion power
- Nuclear technology
- Renewable energy
- Energy conversion
- Electric power
- Energy storage
Energy-related design
Scientific usage
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