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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; matter and energy may also be converted to one another. 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
The Brazilian government provided three important initial drivers for the ethanol industry: guaranteed purchases by the state-owned oil company Petrobras, low-interest loans for agro-industrial ethanol firms, and fixed gasoline and ethanol prices where hydrous ethanol sold for 59% of the government-set gasoline price at the pump. These pump-primers have made ethanol production competitive yet unsubsidized.
In recent years, the Brazilian untaxed retail price of hydrous ethanol has been lower than that of gasoline per gallon. Approximately US$50 million has recently been allocated for research and projects focused on advancing the obtention of ethanol from sugarcane in São Paulo.
Selected image
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Sunspot_TRACE.jpeg/345px-Sunspot_TRACE.jpeg)
Photo credit: NASA/TRACE
Plasma being channeled by the magnetic field loops of a sunspot.
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
Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil Company in 1870 and ran it until he retired in the late 1890s. He continued to retain his stock and his title as president until 1911, when the company was broken up for carrying out illegal monopoly practices. The new companies formed included the predecessors of Conoco, Amoco, Chevron, Esso, Mobil and Sohio. Rockefeller, who had rarely sold shares, owned stock in all of them. As gasoline had grown in importance his wealth had soared and he became the world's richest man and the first billionaire.
Rockefeller's fortune was used to create the modern systematic approach of targeted philanthropy with foundations that had a major impact on medicine, education, and scientific research. His foundations pioneered the development of medical research, and was instrumental in the eradication of hookworm and yellow fever. At his death, at the age of 98, Rockefeller's remaining fortune was estimated at $1.4 billion. As a percentage of the United States economy, no other American fortune has ever come close.
In the news
- 22 June 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Russia launches missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, injuring two people and damaging energy infrastructure. Ukraine says that it shot down 12 of 16 missiles and all 13 drones. (Reuters)
- 16 June 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Norway announces that it will give Ukraine 1.1 billion kroner (US$103 million) to help repair its energy infrastructure and secure the country's electricity supply before the winter. (Le Monde)
- 15 June 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
- The United States announces a $1.5 billion aid package to Ukraine, focused primarily on the country's energy industry and humanitarian assistance. (Politico)
- 1 June 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Russia launches missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, injuring at least four people and damaging critical infrastructure, including energy facilities. Ukraine says that it shot down 35 of 53 missiles and 46 of 47 drones. (Reuters)
General images
Quotations
- "In recent years, new nations have entered enthusiastically into industrial production, thereby increasing their energy needs. This has led to an unprecedented race for available resources. Meanwhile, some parts of the planet remain backward and development is effectively blocked, partly because of the rise in energy prices. What will happen to those peoples?" – Pope Benedict XVI, 2007
- "In order to prevent the harmful consequences that crude oil price volatility is having on the well-being of our people, it is urgent that we convene a World Leaders Summit to present alternative solutions to this serious problem, which could quite possibly be a significant shock to the prosperity of developing nations." – Leonel Fernández, 2005
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- Fossil fuels
- Fusion power
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- Renewable energy
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Energy-related design
Scientific usage
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