Since the discovery of petroleum in the 1860s, fossil fuels have become the foremost source of power in the world. For over a century after their inception, their availability was very seldom called into question. The oil crisis of 1973, however, brought this issue to the forefront. With the widespr...

Sustainability is defined as patterns of economic, environmental, and social progress that meet the needs of the present day without reducing the capacity to meet future need. Sustainable energy refers to those patterns of energy production and use that can support society's present and future needs...