Pursuing Alternative Forms of Energy
Record high prices at American gas pumps and
continued trouble-brewing in the Middle East, Nigeria, and other areas
of importance to the oil-driven economy have made it clear to Americans
that we are in need of developing many new avenues of energy supply and
production. In short, we need to reduce our dependency on oil, for it is
ultimately finite and, frankly, the cheap sources of oil (not all
oil—just the stuff that is cheap to remove from the earth) are running
out. Energy consultants and analysts are insistent that cheap oil has
“peaked” or is very soon going to peak. What this means for us is an
expensive future—unless we can find new sources of powering our
mechanized and electronic civilization, new sources which are
alternatives to oil.
We must also switch to alternative forms of energy because our present
forms are too damaging to the atmosphere. While this write does not
believe that the global warming trend is much, if at all, sustained by
the activities of mankind (in short, it's a natural cycle and there's
nothing we can do about it except prepare for the effects of it), we
certainly do contribute at present to the destruction of the environment
and to things like air pollution with our energy sources as they are.
Coal is another source of energy that we need to wean ourselves off
of—again, it is finite, and it is filthy, and the mining of it is
dangerous and environmentally disruptive. We can also explore new,
streamlined methods for producing electricity that we presently generate
so much of via hydro-power so that we are less disruptive of the
environment when we have need of constructing things such as large dams.
Developing nations which have turned industrialized in recent decades
especially will need the benefits of alternative energy research and
development, for they are presently doing much more environmental damage
than the United States. The United States, Japan, and some European
nations have been implementing studies into and programs for the
development of alternative energy sources, and are therefore already
leading the way in doing less environmental damage. The developing
nations such as China and India need to look to Japan and the West as
examples of what research and development to give government backing and
private investment currency to. We could also add great robustness to
our own economy by being at the forefront of such alternative energy
sources development and then marketing the technologies and services to
nations like India, China, Brazil, and so on and so forth.
Biofuels from things like “supertrees” and soybeans, refined
hydroelectric technology, natural gas, hydrogen fuel cells, the further
building of atomic energy plants, the continued development of solar
energy photovoltaic cells, more research into wind-harnessed power—all
of these are viable energy sources that can act as alternatives to the
mammoth amounts of oil and coal that we presently are so dependent on
for our very lifestyles. The energy of the future is green.
About the Author: D. Benjamin is the owner of
iapsales.com LLC - a family business specializing in HVAC products. We
are distributors of
Qmark Heaters,
electric tankless water heaters,
bathroom heaters,
patio heaters, electric heaters, portable air
conditioners & electric towel warmers. Shop online at
www.heateroutlet.com for these great home improvement products.
Iapsales.com LLC was established in 2003 and is the sister company to
Innovative Air Products located in historical Exeter, NH. We are a 2nd
generation manufacturers’ rep firm dedicated to providing residential &
commercial heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment. We offer
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