Alternative Fuels Essay 8

Alternative Fuels This day in age, one of the world's main concerns is energy. Currently, we rely on petroleum to run our cars, and household central heat, and electricity in our homes. Petroleum is not only limited, but it is also dirtying up the world's air, and depleting the ozone layer as it is burned. Alternative fuels are one of the worlds most talked about issues, and many solutions have been brought forth, yet none of them have been sophisticatedly acted upon. Through the list of pros and cons, one shall determine the importance of alternative fuels, and how bad the pros outweigh the cons, thus forcing the reality of the matter that we need to start moving towards these alternate forms of energy, and fuel. Despite the minor faults in using alternative fuels, the pros are very evident, and exploration of this matter should definitely be a factor in the studies of scientists. Solar energy is described as harnessing the sun's rays in a number of different ways. Solar energy is said to be very clean, quite safe and obviously free. The main method of capturing the sun's energy is through cells in solar panels, or pads. This energy is then converted to a direct current type of energy, the same as what is used in batteries. Solar power may be found on certain cars, some homes, and on RV's. Most people use it on their cars, as a trickle charger for their batteries, so that if they leave a small accessory on in their car, they will not return to a dead battery, and no way home. Solar energy lacks the need for waste disposal, as it does not produce any harmful by products, or emit dangerous fumes, or liquids. The problem with these solar energy panels is that they often break down, and they do not function properly many times. They are also very high in cost, and require much maintenance. When used in a residential setting, in order to receive high output by these panels, there needs to be a large amount of panels. These panels are normally sold

Cited: De Romana, Carlos. "Alternative Fuel Methods are Necessary" The Writ 14 Sept. 2004 "Alternative power sources: pros and cons" CNN 12 Sept 2000. Wikipedia. Wiki, Alternative Energy page. University of Arizona. UofA Personal Page.