Alternative Energy Sources
Concerns that have been raised regarding energy security have been occasioned by fears about oil and other fossil fuel depletion; reliance on foreign sources of energy; geopolitics; developing countries' energy needs; environmental concerns; population dynamics; and renewable and other alternative energy sources (Shah, 2011). This essay seeks to establish whether alternative energy sources can help ease human reliance on oil.
It is important that governments invest on alternative sources of energy because sometime in the future the vast sources of fossil fuel will get depleted. There are chances that fossil fuel extraction and production may peak sometime in the future (Shah, 2011). Globalization has made it possible for goods to be manufactured away from where the consumers are situated. These manufactured goods are often transported using cheap oil to the intended markets. High oil prices that have recently been witnessed threaten this current form of globalization. The key to off-setting overreliance on foreign oil rests on technological advancement (Shah, 2011).
Economies that intend to free themselves from the yoke of dependence on foreign oil have to learn to use less of the oil. However, it would be near catastrophic for such economies to terminate importation of oil before they look for alternatives. It is therefore imperative that industries manufacturing cars and trucks contemplate coming up with car models that do not consume a lot of fuel. Countries like the United States of America use 70 per cent of oil in transportation (Chu, 2011). As a matter of fact, 65 per cent of this is used on personal vehicles. Because of challenges posed by reliance on fossil oil from foreign sources to major world economies it is important that policy makers in energy portfolios in both developed and developing economies contemplate integrating energy independence in their policy structures. Energy independence implies energy security. This brings about supply and price stability from the economic perspective. This objective can only be achieved when alternative transportation fuels as well as multi-fuel vehicles are developed. Consumers will therefore have myriad alternatives to choose from. They can possibly opt for non-petroleum fuels. Energy security is on the brink because of the influence governments have on world petroleum reserves. In fact, over 80 per cent of these reserves are state-owned (Chu, 2011). These governments manipulate supply and price of oil with utmost impunity.
Attainment of energy independence can be realized when cars, trucks and buses on national highways-boats and ship on waterways-national airlines and railways are powered by fuels made in such countries. This should also apply to off-road recreational, construction and farm vehicles. When you bring the United States economy into perspective it is regrettable that it largely depends on foreign oil. Statistics indicate that 57 per cent of oil consumed in the U.S. is imported from foreign destinations apparently the Middle East (Chu, 2011). Seventy per cent of this imported oil is mainly used in transportation. Of over twenty million barrels of oil products consumed everyday in the United States; 14 million barrels are consumed for transportation fuel (Chu, 2011). Six million barrels of crude oil imported everyday by the United States comes from the OPEC nations (Chu, 2011). Reliance on OPEC oil can be done away with when petroleum fuels like gasoline and diesel are replaced with non-petroleum alternatives. This will set an example for other world economies to emulate.
During the 1973 Arab oil embargo, the United States government responded by replacing petroleum fuel oil with coal that was manufactured internally. The government also embarked on obtaining clean energy from nuclear power plants. Natural gas was also used to power generators during this period. This has until recently eased reliance on petroleum oil as a primary source of energy. The U.S.A. does not rely on foreign sources of energy for electricity generation. Kicking the oil habit is a tall order but is a sacrifice worth making bearing in mind that electricity utility industry did it over 35 years ago. It is something that the automobile industry should seriously think about (Chu, 2011). It is high time car and trucks started using synthetic fuels manufactured from alcohol and diesel, natural gas, bio-fuels, and electricity. In fact, research exists that supports this. Energy independence if carefully considered can help in creation of job opportunities for the jobless.
Nuclear power, apart from the problems that have been witnessed in the recent past, can be an alternative source of energy. This energy source is efficient and environmentally friendly especially when nuclear wastes are properly handled (Shah,...
These and other concerns associated with wind energy development are discussed below, and are addressed in the Wind Energy Development Programmatic EIS. To get more information about these concerns and access current research, please visit the suggested web sites listed on the Wind Energy Links page (Talley 2). Economic factors that make necessitate a switch from fossil fuel power production to wind power production. The initial cost of installing a wind
Alternative Energy Source Alternative energy Alternative energy refers to the energy sources that have no undesired impact and they are renewable since they are generated by fuel sources and they restore themselves over a short period of time and do not diminish and are not derived from fossil fuels. They include solar energy, wind energy, geothermal, biomass, biogas and hydro electric power. These types of energy have a significant potential to reduce
We want people to come into the Lagos economy. There is room to do this by: obtaining a resident registration card. The value of registration will benefit everyone in terms of: the provisions of amenities, security and the protection of businesses. This is an enormous step forward." (Fashola Signs Lagos Residents' Registration Bill into Law 2011) The information from this source is useful because it is illustrating how the state
Tourism Should Adopt Alternative Energy Strategies Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world. In 2010, international tourist arrivals increased by approximately seven percent, to 935 million arrivals ("World Tourism Organization," n.d.). This figure doesn't include the millions of arrivals for national tourism. Clearly, this global powerhouse of an industry can significantly impact global change. Included in this ability is the ability to impact the global environment. Global
Energy is an essential force powering society, industry and in the end our everyday lives. Generally, energy sources can be classified as non-renewable and renewable sources. Non-renewable energy sources are those that can not be replenished or made again in a short period of time. Renewable energy sources on the other hand can be replenished in a short period of time (Energy sources, 2011). There are three main sources of energy
alternatives to traditional fossil fuels, and evaluate them based on their relative availability, renewability, and known environmental impacts. We begin with a baseline characterization of fossil fuels, and outline some of the factors contributing to their current market and industry dominance. We then examine three of the current most prominent and viable renewable alternatives to fossil fuels, including the controversial nuclear energy technology and two emerging technology areas, wind
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