The IntroSolar power, wind power, and nuclear power are a few of the alternative fuels that are being tested and used already in today’s society. As time goes on, mankind’s ability to perfect and enhance these new energy sources has grown exponentially. New advances that are being made in alternative fuel research are very complicated. It is difficult for the average person to understand the complexity of how they will actually work. In a world where fossil fuels are limited, there has been an ever-growing effort to discover and use alternative fuels.
Big Topic of Interest During these TimesThere has been much emphasis on alternative fuels lately. There are many different ideas that scientist are trying to perfect. There are many alternative fuels in progress right now, and some are already being used today. Biodiesel for example is an alternative fuel that is already being used. “Biodiesel is a renewable alternative fuel produced from a wide range of vegetable oils and animal fats” (“Alternative and Advanced Fuels” 1). Biodiesel is a fuel that is used to enhance fuels that are already being used. This could potentially decrease gas prices because there would be less demand. Methanol is also an enhancement fuel. Methanol is used to produce an oxygenate called methyl-tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) (1). MTBE can be mixed with gasoline to make a cleaner, cheaper, and less flammable fuel (1). Even the idea of a cleaner, cheaper, and safer fuel is a good momentum booster for methanol. There are also advancements being made in renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy. Engineers have already constructed hundreds of wind turbines that can power entire cities (Zimmerman 1). There are giant turbines out around Palm Springs that can produce enough electricity to power up to three hundred houses each. Although these turbines are very expensive, costing from $250,000 to one million dollars, they will ultimately save money (Zimmerman 1). There is much excitement for wind turbines because unlike fossil fuels, renewable fuels like wind and solar will always be around. Solar energy can be described as mankind’s ability to harness the radiant energy that the sun gives off daily. The sun gives off more energy every minute than mankind would ever be able to use. People are already using solar energy everyday to power things like homes, calculators, and robots on mars. Wind turbines and solar panels are costly at first, but over time, they pay for themselves. Another alternative fuel that is already being used today is nuclear energy. Like coal burning plants, nuclear plants also heat water into pressurized steam (Brian and Lamb 1). The steam then drives a turbine generator that produces electricity (1). The difference is, nuclear power plants heat the water by nuclear fission, also known as splitting atoms (1). Now there is a way to produce electricity in large amounts that is cleaner than burning oil or coal. Some claim that nuclear energy is too expensive. About a third of the cost to run a nuclear reactor is involved in the safety aspects (Moore 105). This is important because there are numerous safety hazards at a power plant that can be avoided if all is functioning properly. It is expensive because engineers and scientists need to be paid to make sure everything is always 100% functional. It is very easy for people to become enthusiastic about alternative fuels when there are new advancements being made.
Reduce Dependence on foreign Oil and more...With this all out race to use alternative fuels, there are many who believe that they are important and are excited to use them. One of the biggest reasons that America is working so hard to produce alternative fuels is to reduce dependence upon foreign oil. “By reducing our dependence on foreign oil through the development of alternative energy sources, we can declare our ‘Energy Independence’” (“About Beyondfossilfuel” 1). Energy independence has been a major goal for many years, and it is exciting for many to see the push towards that goal with alternative fuels. It is also believed by many that switching to alternative fuel sources would improve air quality. Fuels like nuclear energy are much cleaner than the exhaust produced from burning fossil fuels. “Nuclear energy prevents the release of 697 million metric tons of Carbon Dioxide into the air…” (Moore 103). Nuclear energy could also replace fossil fuel altogether and still be able to meet the energy demand. This would alleviate America’s dependence on foreign oil. There is also the belief that using fuels like biodiesel would not only be good for the economy here in America, but this technology could help people in third world countries as well. In Africa, 90% of rural populations live without electricity. Bioenergy could change their lives (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization 61). Those who live in the rural areas of Africa do not have all the technology that people have in the U.S.A. It is also important to consider the effect of foreign oil on America’s economy. Reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil would help the financial problem associated with paying too much for foreign oil, and would improve national security (60-61). It is much safer for America to keep themselves out of dealings with the Middle East because it is a known fact that the Middle East does not think too fondly of the U.S.A. Reducing dependence would keep Americans from getting harassed by oil companies in the Middle East. To many, alternative fuels seem like the best solution to America’s economic and energy crisis. Although alternative fuel appears to be the best solution, there are still critics.
The SkepticsAlthough there has been a great deal of media and political hype about alternative fuels, there are still a number of people who are skeptical of the “actual outcome” of using alternative fuels. Some people don’t think that progress will ever be made in alternative powered vehicles or other machinery. Many feel that the idea of alternative fuels relieving America is all talk and no action. ‘Every President since Richard Nixon has touted energy independence, yet the goal remains elusive” (Dickerson A-19). It is hard for someone to be optimistic about a subject when they have been hearing the same thing for years and have not seen results. However, even new energies that are making progressed are chastised. Solar energy is a new energy that everyone is comfortable with, and has become the victim of criticism. The problem that scientists are discovering is that the materials used to make solar panels do not recycle well and can be dangerous to the environment (Dickerson C-2). Executive director of the San Jose nonprofit group commented that, “You can’t just call your product green and close your eyes to what’s happening…” (C-2). This could mean that producers need to check everything about their product to make sure that it is good before representatives tell the public that they have the answers to the problems. When someone’s hope gets lifted high about a product and he or she finds out later that it has bad qualities, the person can be left feeling betrayed and become very skeptical about the future. Skeptics also worry about the effects of alternative fuels on a car’s engine. Fuels like biodiesel can be harder on a car’s engine and can cause one to change the oil more often (Worley 1). Most of the time when one buys a car, he or she wants to use material that will make the car last forever. When someone finds out something like, biodiesel can be harder on a car engine than standard gas- the person tends to stay on regular gasoline because it appears to be better. There are also environmental complaints about using biofuels. There is the fear that if biofuels are used heavily, they will cause a world-wide humanitarian disaster (Monbiot 55). This could be in the form of starvation from all the crops being used for fuel instead of food. Planting crops in third world countries for fuel would be cheaper, but it would destroy tons of rainforest and put many endangered species in even greater danger (56). The idea of animals dying and forests being cleared does not sit well with the conscience of some people. This could cause protesting and rioting if it started to happen. There are always critics, and it is impossible to make everyone happy. Regardless, it is still important that advancements are being made for the future.
Bright Future with Alternate FuelsWith human ingenuity as the leading cause of new discoveries and inventions throughout history, it is appropriate to assume that the future of alternative fuels will be beneficial to mankind. There is some hope that nuclear energy will be the future of alternative fuels. It is believed that nuclear power opens the door to the proposed hydrogen economy (Moore 106). Everybody’s wish is that the world could be powered on water. This belief seems unpractical, at least for now. What is a more realistic future for energy is renewable energy. President Obama wants to spend 150 billion dollars on renewable fuel sources like wind and solar energy in the next ten years (Dickerson A-19). If the funding is there, scientists will be able to make progress incapability and production of these renewable sources. Renewable energy is important since the need for energy is going up. The United States Department of Energy predicts that residential energy use will increase 25% in the next sixteen years (Walker 1). That proves the increased need for energy in the United States is not just energy production that needs to increase, but renewable energy production. Brad Collins, executive director of the solar energy society says, “The future belongs to renewable energy,” and he later goes on to say that the world’s supply of oil and natural gas will end (1). The thought of running out of natural fossil fuels urges scientists and engineers to act rapidly. The American Wind Energy Association predicts that there are enough wind energy projects right now to power nine million U.S. homes (2). If wind turbines and solar panels were built at the same rate as homes and businesses, the need to build new power plants could be reduced. This would mean burning less fuel and making fossil fuels last longer. It is exciting to see what will probably end up being the future of energy is actually here right now; it is just a matter of using it.
The Conclusion
Knowing that fossil fuels are limited, the research and discoveries in alternative fuels has made much advancement. There are many different types of alternative fuel sources that are viewed as “good” by some and “bad” by others. Although there is controversy, one can see that the future lies with renewable energy. Alternative fuels can, are, and will change the way that America consumes energy.
