Energy Production Controversy

Energy Production Controversy
Imagine the U.S. without cars, motorcycles, planes, or boats. The daily lives of U.S. citizens would be completely different. The common denominator for all those modes of transportation is that they run on gas, which is made from fossil fuels. Fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas are nonrenewable resources. They will run out one day and that’s what the U.S. relies on for gas and electricity. Renewable energy such as solar, wind, and hydropower are infinite sources. The U.S. depends on the finite resources of fossil fuels greatly, yet they have the ability to use renewable energy. The oil boom dates back to Henry Ford and John D. Rockefeller and some say that fossil fuels have reached the end of their
Coal was a key part of the United States’ growth in economy and lifestyle. With the use of coal to power steam engines and innovate the locomotive industry, “which revolutionized not only transportation but also mining and manufacturing" ("Alternative Energy Incentives" 3), the U.S. was able to expand across the country striving for prosperity. Since “fossil fuels made it possible for manufacturers to build their factories in locations away from running water (“Alternative Energy Incentives" 3), the popular use of hydropower (a renewable energy source) dropped greatly. Moving on to the 1900s, Rockefeller and Ford are cooking up new technologies that will revolutionize the way the U.S. lives and the way they use energy. Rockefeller paved the way for an automotive industry (and uncountable other technologies) by improving the refining and shipping of oil. Everything the U.S. is accustomed to about cars could be completely different because “at first, vehicles with electric engines were more popular than vehicles with combustion engines, which depend on gasoline" ("1997-98: Renewable Energy" 2). This contrasts to the present because of how much the U.S. relies on gas to run vehicles today. It shows that even though the U.S. had the capability to use electric cars, they used fossil fuels to propel the automotive industry. That is because back in the 1910-1920s, gas was a plentiful
economy as well as the downsides to renewable energy. They support fossil fuels because they create a strong economic position for the U.S. in world economy. The big oil countries rely on the U.S. as a trading partner and, according to supporters of fossil fuels, if the U.S. used renewables and rejected oil trade with those countries, “the U.S. could do irreparable damage to its place in the global energy market, and perhaps foster resentment among rival countries that had relied on the U.S. as a trading partner" ("Alternative Energy Incentives" 12). Thus, advocates are pointing out the necessary place that oil holds in the U.S. economy. That also means they view that by relying on imports, the U.S. avoids war. Oil is a big part of the fossil fuel supply. It is found in the ground after being created from age old organism remains and pressure from the earth. Other types of fossil fuels are coal and natural gas. When advocates consider the economy of oil, they note that it’s easy, cheap, and plentiful. One reason they think it is easy and cheap is because “producing energy from fossil fuels costs less today than producing equal amounts of energy from renewable sources" ("1997-98: Renewable Energy" 7). The big picture there is to produce equal amounts of energy using a renewable source and a fossil fuel is that it is cheaper using the fossil fuel. Advocates exclaim that “contrary to popular