Out of Gas?
Emissions from the tailpipe of the car in front of you, smoke dispersing from a smokestack andforming a black haze around the horizon, or the strange black tint in the water left over froman oil spill years ago. These are all types of pollution and are all caused by one commonentity: fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are fuels created naturally within the Earth. Whether byadding to the greenhouse effect, reshaping a landscape during a mining operation, or simplyblowing smoke in someone's face, these familiar sources of energy have an undeniably profound Fossil fuels are the most widely used source of energy throughout the modern world. In theUnited States alone, they account for over eighty-five percent of energy consumption. It isoften overlooked, however, that they are not only the cause of economic and politicalinstability but also account for almost all of the world's pollution, including chemicalsattributed to global warming. Alternative energy production methods must be discovered anddeveloped to replace this unclean and insecure source of power. Devices such as wind powerplants, solar power plants, and other renewable energy harnessing facilities, facilities with
Although renewables are already serving to meet some energy demands, there is room forimprovement and growth. According to a researcher from the Italian Commission for Nuclear andAlternative Energy Sources, Heinz Knoepfel, if the current rate of increase continues, an excessof carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could raise the temperature by three to five degreesFahrenheit by the year 2100. The hidden costs of waste disposal, decommissioning, and provision for accidents havenever been adequately accounted for. "The resources [of renewables] are unlimited and wait only upontechnological progress for harvesting," according to Duane Sunderman, director of the NationalRenewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. Fossil fuels, while being detrimental to both the natural and economic environments, are alsobad for the political environment. According to MichaelBrower, physicist and director of research at the Union of Concerned Scientists, "It wouldn'ttake much to give renewables a nudge. (Griffin 1992, [CQ Researcher]) The United States'dependency upon energy from fossil fuels is going to become a major setback. (Alternative Energy Institute, Inc. These dollars are no longer coming back in the form of exportrevenues. Renewables and other alternatives are more economically sound on a personal level as well. With research andimprovement, renewables can generate energy at levels and prices comparable to that of fossilfuels. Wind and solar power are the mostnotable devices of the up coming alternative power revolution.
Common topics in this essay:
Institute Inc,
Heinz Knoepfel,
,
CQ Researcher,
Countries United,
Gulf War,
SIRS Online,
United States',
Researcher Demand,
Golden Colorado,
fossil fuels,
alternative energy,
energy institute inc,
institute inc,
inc 1999,
1999 online,
inc 1999 online,
institute inc 1999,
energy institute,
power plants,
alternative energy institute,
1992 cq,
griffin 1992 cq,
griffin 1992,
renewable energy,
|
Acceptance Essays
