Alternative Energy is the Solution to the Fossil Fuel Dilemma

America should pursue alternative energy sources because “With only 5 percent of the worlds population, the United States consumes almost one-quarter (22.5%) of global energy”. (((Josef Bram, 15))) With such a small percentage of the world’s population and still one of the largest consumers of energy the U.S should be looking for new and better ways to generate energy. Currently The U.S’s energy is supplied using traditional sources. According to Canadian scientist and policy analyst Vaclav Smil “Todays energy 29% from coal, 33% from oil and gas, and 33% from soft-energy (alternative sources)” (((Smil, 47))) Most of the energy we use on a daily basis is not produced using clean methods. Some alternative energy sources that are already in place within the United Stats are wind, solar, and hydraulic.

Now, in the first couple decades of the 21st century, in order to sustain our dependence on fossil fuels we’re going to very risky, very extreme new sources. You see this, in things like mountain top removal for coal, fracking for natural gas, offshore drilling for oil, and the tar sands, which is the most devastating form of producing fossil fuels. They take away massive forests, the water in the streams, and rivers is poisoned. It has severe impacts on the wildlife, on native communities, and it requires a huge amount of energy to simply get it to our fuel tanks.

Solar energy can save us. Solar energy can reduce pollution by burning fuels in extoridant

As the planet’s population continues to grow, so will the energy needs. Even with fast advancement of technology, humans are only able to extract so much oil in a given period. Relying solely on fossil fuels and pushing off the inevitable does not make sense. If all of the United States oil supply and every other non-renewable energy source had suddenly disappeared from the face of North America, Americans would have no choice but to rely on renewable energy resources and that would not be a problem. As more solar panels, windmills, and hydroelectric turbines were built and placed in their respective environments, the United States would be back on its feet within no time. This would eventually lead to lower energy costs and a much greener and environmentally friendly nation overall. In the long run, investing and focusing on renewable energy resources provides the United States with a fail-safe solution which would also provide citizens with the energy they need to power their everyday

U.S dependency on fossil fuels adversely affects the environment and the economy. The dependency the U.S has with oil has been going on for a long time. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that fossil fuels were responsible 79% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2010 (Dorsey). Moreover, dependency on fossil fuel is expensive; governments are still spending up to $88 billion every year supporting fossil fuel exploration (Rowell). Stopping U.S dependency on fossil fuel will not only help the economy but the environment as well.

The United States relies heavily on fossil fuels as its main source of energy and with the limited supply, we 'll have to develop and utilize alternative sources for clean, renewable, cheap and effective energy to power this country and the world into the future. It will be important for the health of our planet to utilize renewable resources that have no greenhouse gas emission. Out of necessity the world will eventually need to stop using fossil fuels for energy.

In order to comprehend why we need to shift to alternative energy sources, we must first review the history of fossil fuels and how it transitioned the world during an important era of history. Fossil fuels played an extremely significant role in the era of the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution began in the eighteenth century. Fossil fuels were the ultimate ideal source of energy during the Industrial Revolution. Coal was especially used the most during the revolution. It burned “cleaner” and hotter than what wood did. The Industrial Revolution without a doubt expanded the use of coal. During the revolution, coal was used for steamships and with the escalating business of transporting goods across the country, it played a major

Alternative fuel sources are defined as sources used to reduce our dependence on imported oil, and to rely more on renewable resources. Solar panels, an example of an alternative fuel source, can be put on houses or buildings, designed to absorb light rays and convert it into electricity or heat (What Are Solar Panels). This eliminates the need for oil to heat your home. Another alternative fuel source are hybrid cars. Hybrid cars are a mix of gas and electricty but still cuts down the need for oil substantially. They work by using a gas engine and electric motor to propel itself. Both solar panels and hybrid cars, either eliminate the need for oil or limit it which is why they are a top cause for the drop in oil

The argument of alternative energy sources vs fossil fuels is a long-lasting argument. Though there are many pros and cons to both sides, alternative energy sources is the better choice than fossil fuels for many reasons. One reason is that fossil fuels isn’t a renewable energy source while all alternative energy sources are. Another reason is that fossil fuels is a big contributor to global warming. Lastly fossil fuels also contribute to pollution.

There are some that say that the US is ready to start replacing fossil fuels with alternative energy resources and some don't exactly agree. Alternative energy sources include biofuels, hydrogen, solar, geothermal, wind and nuclear energy and fossils fuels are fuels such as oil, coal, and petroleum. Those for alternative energy argue that fossil fuels are inefficient, unsustainable, environmentally destructive, and the primary contributor to global climate change. They believe that renewable energies are a viable and immediately needed alternative to fossil fuels. Then those for fossil fuels believe that there are many technical hurdles that have to be overcome before alternative energy could replace even a small portion of the power powered by fossil fuels. They also say that fossil fuels will last hundreds of years longer, be made more efficient, and remain the most economical

Fossil fuels are necessary for our country to be kept alive. Natural gas, Coal, and oil are very important resources that we use a daily bases to run almost everything you see. Nearly 90% of our country runs of fossil fuels that are non-renewable. The problem with this is that there are cost and effects to using these fossil fuels. Cost of paying for the jobs needed to change these fossil fuels into energy is a very big cost that comes out of every Americans pocket. To pay for these cost we have electricity bills, water bills, gas bills that do not nearly cover the cost to actually make the energy. Some cost we do not notice until it is too late. Fossil fuels have many effects on the health of the general population. When burning fossil

Fossil fuels have been keeping our country running for quite a long time, throughout our history. The reason why fossil fuels have been so instrumental in our production of energy is the increase in technology. Technology has brought the world ways to dig into the earth and extract oil, which we have been doing quite a bit more of as late. The problem with this increase in drilling and digging for fossil fuels is that there is only so much of it, and cannot be created, or reused. Once, these fossil fuels are all used up, they will no longer be a source of energy for the world to use. This is why we have to find ways to preserve what we have left of these fossil fuels. Currently we do not have enough of an alternative source of energy for the world to run efficiently, and that is a scary situation that we have ourselves in. There are three different types of fossil fuels that we use, and that is where we are going to start.

The government has been greatly influenced by big oil companies lobbying for political power. No single group should have such a large amount of power over the government. If our focus on fossil fuels is shifted over to a more general scope that includes various renewable energy sources, then no single group of companies will have a significant amount of power in the direction of the country. Since oil companies have an iron grip on decisions the U.S. makes, we have gone to several wars over the pursuit of oil. General Zilmer stated that the amount of casualties can be reduced greatly if troops could move away from their use of fossil fuels.(News Observer) These wars would

Something to also note about wind energy, is the fact that no pollution is created during the process. The use of wind turbines does not release harmful particles into the air, it merely reuses the air that is all around us. Burning coal and natural gas, something the United States does on a large scale, creates a massive amount of air pollution despite the filters in the plants to prevent that. When burning coal and natural gas, carbon dioxide and other harmful gasses are released into the air, affecting the environment and people. Breathing in the air pollution, especially on a daily basis in say, Los Angeles, can cause harmful effects to the body. Issues ranging from respiratory trouble to diseases, and cancer are commonly found from inhaling air pollution, even in small amounts. But, with the use of these giant wind turbines, a

Basically, first, we cannot consume the energy that is coming from fossil fuel for a long time because it leads to depletion that source. Another concern is climate change that is to give us a main indicator to redefining the energy security (Crowley2000 cited in HEZRI &WILHELM HOFMEISTE, 2012).