Alternative Energy

Alternate Energy

What would it be like to live in the dark? Finding new forms of alternative energy has been a major concern throughout the world for the past several years. Currently, our main sources of energy are coal for electricity, and oil for transportation. Alternative energy, also known as renewable energy, is defined as energy derived from sources that do not use up natural resources or harm the environment. At the rate we are using these nonrenewable resources oil is scheduled to run out in 100 years, and coal in about 1000 years, which is why finding efficient forms of renewable energy is crucial to maintaining the current levels of fossil fuels. Alternatives to coal and oil include resources such as: wind, solar, hydro, wood, and biomass. All of these energies are renewable and a great replacement for fossil fuels. Around the world, these types of energies are being used, but are not as widespread or efficient enough for us to depend on to slow down the rate we use nonrenewable resources. One of the major debates about renewable resources is do they work. Some renewable energy sources are often criticized for being viable or intermittent, meaning they don't always work. Energy such as wind may not work at certain times because it may not be windy or solar energy because it may not be sunny at that moment. The truth is, when we deplete all the nonrenewable resources, we will not have enough time or money to make the renewable forms
Cooper 2 work all the time. The key to this major issue is diversification. By diversifying the ways we produce energy we will have more of a chance at producing energy all the time. For example if the US focused on wind, solar, hydro, wood, and biomass energy all over the country, it is likely we wouldn't have to use nearly as much fossil fuels to produce power. As of right now the leading form of renewable of energy in the US is wind power, blowing in at only 3% of the nation's power produced. To fix this issue the president of the US, Barrack Obama, says "We need to deploy American assets, innovation, and technology so that we can safely and responsibly develop more energy here at home and be a leader in the global energy economy." What this means is that, we as Americans, need to innovate new ways to create efficient forms of renewable energy, and be a role model for the rest of the world so they will follow in our footsteps. One very important political player in the alternate energy issue is Germany. Germany is world's leader in solar power. The country currently has installed enough solar panels to produce over 9000 megawatts of energy which is half of the total solar power produced worldwide. To fix the world's energy problem all countries need to work together to find a solution. Through the use of energies such as: wind, solar, hydro, wood, and biomass, the world's dependence on oil and coal will drop drastically, if we continue taking the proper steps. Fixing the problem rapidly will also contribute greatly to solving the world's global warming problem, which is important to all of us!