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Zach Morgan
Ms. Tillery
AP Literature
18 November 2011
Alternative Energy
In 2007, the Energy Information Administration estimated that more than 86% of the
world‟s energy came from fossil fuels (Search on for alternatives to oil power).The problems of
pollution and scarcity of resources plague the lives of humans, and as the world population
begins to rise, so will our energy consumption. The world must now take measures in order to
reduce our carbon footprint and ultimately end our dependence of carbon based fuels for our
energy needs. Therefore, the focus must shift from harmful coal and petroleum based energy
sources to cleaner and more efficient sources of energy production. Cheap, clean, and renewable
ways to produce energy is in high demand as our society becomes more and more dependent
upon electricity to power our modern lifestyle. Alternative energy sources, the problems that we
face with this new technology, and methods of resolving these issues are all important in the race
to reduce the output of carbon into our environment.
Over the course of the next few years, research and development teams need to take
alternative energy sources to the next level if we are to reduce our dependency on carbon based
fuel supplies. Dictionary.com refers to alternative energy as, “energy, as solar, wind, or nuclear
energy, that can replace or supplement traditional fossil-fuel sources, as coal, oil, and natural
gas” (Alternative Energy). There are many different types of renewable energy sources, and
there are also many methods and tools used to attain each type of alternative energy. Perhaps one
of the most popular alternative energy sources is solar energy or energy that comes from the sun.

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The process of photovoltaics already produces energy to power items such as calculators, road
signs, and street lights, but the technology can expand even further. The use of larger solar
panels can collect enough of the sun‟s rays to power a home, business, or even entire cities.
According to Frank Laird, “the sun's rays give off approximately 1,000 watts of energy per
square meter of the planet's surface” (Laird). This means that the potential for solar power is
endless. Anywhere on the planet that there is an empty roof or an open field, a solar panel can be
mounted and thousands of watts of electricity can be captured and used for human consumption.
Solar power offers endless opportunities for the creation of clean electricity.
Another type of alternative energy is energy that can be captured from the wind. Wind
energy can be captured using very simple tools called wind turbines. Wind turbines have blades
that are mounted either vertically or horizontally that spin a generator whenever the wind pushes
on the blades. Wind energy produced through wind driven turbines have proven themselves to
be, “an untapped energy resource that could reduce the need for coal, oil and natural gas”
(Renewable Energy). The potential for wind energy to power communities on windy coastal
areas is vast, and the technology can be applied on a small scale for personal use, but it can also
be put into a large scale to power entire communities with emission free energy.
The final alternative source of energy that can be expanded to reduce the world‟s reliance
on fossil fuels is nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is energy that is created by forced nuclear
fission or fusion reactions. These reactions put off of heat and energy that can be used to create
massive amounts of electricity to power everything the world needs to survive. The wonder of
nuclear energy is the sheer quantity of energy that one nuclear power plant can produce. The
Nuclear Energy Institute states that, “Nuclear energy is America‟s largest source of clean-air,
carbon-free electricity, producing no greenhouse gases or air pollutants” (Key Issues). The

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miracle of the emission less nuclear power plants added to the amount of energy that one plant
can create makes nuclear energy the master of alternative energy sources.
However, the utopia of a world filled with alternative methods for attaining energy is not
entirely attainable. There are many problems with the various renewable sources of energy
including costs, efficiency, and many other issues. The main problem that the expansion of
alternative energy faces is the lack of support by government and individuals. Scientists and
engineers have collaborated and determined that before alternative energy sources can dominate
our society, they must provide an, “increased understanding of how alternative energies work
and why they are beneficial; the availability components for these systems must increase; and
lastly the pay-off time must be decreased” (Investing in a Renewable Energy Future). Without
public education of the harmful effects of fossil fuels, the people of the world will not understand
the importance of developing and embracing renewable energy sources. As long as cheap
petroleum is available to put into our cars, and coal and natural gas are burnt to power our
homes, the people of the world will not move towards safer more efficient energy sources. The
advantages of using alternative sources for energyis not currently knowledge that every nation
educates its people on.
Secondly, the technologies must become available as a consumer product that is
moderately priced for most middle to upper class individuals. Currently, there are few
technologies that are available to the average consumer. This makes it incredibly difficult for
private companies to market alternative energy and the motives for individual action have been
staggered. This leaves alternative energy solely in the hands of the government, and without
sufficient support or funds in the governments of the world, clean renewable sources for energy
are unattainable in any aspect of our future.

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Finally, as with every other aspect of life for humans, we search for instant gratification.
For alternative energy to be successful in this economy, the benefits must heavily outweigh the
costs. Currently, the costs of installing solar, wind and nuclear power facilities are high, and they
take a while before they are fully paid for and become profitable to the facilitators. If alternative
energy is going to make a stand in our economy, the technology needs to become cheaper, and it
has to have a strong platform for competition against cheap non-renewables.
The only way that the world can fight back against pollution and dwindling resources is
to fix the problems facing alternative energy on both the large and small scale. Tackling the
three problems of alternative energy will not be an easy one; however, with widespread
cooperation from both governments and individuals, the future of the world‟s energy
consumption can be a clean and endless one. Raising awareness about the condition of our
environment due to energy consumption is the first step in creating a cleaner future for everyone.
Governments in the United States for example, have switched to wind and solar power for a
large portion of their energy usage. In California, the governor passed a Renewable Energy
program that led them to produce upwards of 20% of their energy using renewable resources by
2010 (Alternative Energy). Education is the first and most important step in the process of
switching to alternative energy.
Also, turning alternative energy into an easy to attain and marketable product for
consumersis the second step towards a clean future. GE is so confident in its ability to up the
ante with solar power, that they have, “put extra time and capital forward to further improve the
technologies associated with solar panels, and widening the horizons for widespread ownership
by the average American” (GE on Jump Into Solar: 'We're Confident and We're Scaling Up').

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The marketability of alternative energy will add a new area to the world market and create many
new jobs as the market of renewable energy grows.
Lastly, to make the market for alternative energy a competitive one, the time until
rewards and results can be seen must be drastically shortened to meet the wants and needs of the
world consumer. As the technology becomes more available and cheaper, the amount of time
until the energy facilities start to pay off will be decreased. This will allow for renewable energy
sources to gain support from consumers, and gain backing by the government. This type of
support is the only way that the world can truly tackle the issues that we face with our energy
sources and the issues that we face with pollution. All in all, in order to attain a bright and clean
future with enough renewable resources to go around, action must be taken now to diffuse the
problems that face alternative energy sources.
In conclusion, our world faces the problem of a polluted environment, dwindling
resources, and an ever rising population. Alternative energy sources, along with the problems
that we face with this new technology, must be met and matched by methods of resolving these
issues in order to reverse the damage that has been done to our environment so far. In order for
our world to thrive in the future, we must embrace the use of alternative methods of attaining
energy and move away from harmful non-renewables. Therefore, we must leave carbon based
energy sources such as natural gas, coal, and petroleum behind. Cheap, clean, and renewable
ways to produce energy is the only way that the world can reverse its damage to the environment
and clean the air of harmful greenhouse gasses. Along with the issues, come solutions that could
revolutionize the way people all over the world refer to energy. Clean is the new standard, and
cheap efficient energy is only a stone‟s throw away from a very wonderful reality in the lives of
people across the globe. To sum things up, the problems the world face have a door that needs to

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be opened and have its issues addressed so that the world may restore the natural beauty and
health of our planet and keep it that way for many generations to come.

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Works Cited
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“Alternative Energy Sources.”Alternative Energy Sources.N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2011.
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