The Return to Alternative Energy

There's a lot more news about alternative energies recently. Different people have different ideas about just what it is. They also have different ideas about how long alternative energy has been around. I wrote this article to give my perspective on

alternative energy is commonly used to refer to sources of energy that are an alternative to coal, oil and natural gas. These fossil fuels have been the most common source of our energy for generations.

Our current perspective blinds us to the fact that the emergence of fossil fuels as the dominant form of energy happened only recently in world history. Wind, animals and hydropower were the dominant sources of energy until the mid-19th century.

Dutch windmills are an icon of the country. Windows are also closely associated wit old ranches of the American West.

Another example of earlier uses of what we now consider alternative energy is solar hot water heating. Several progressively better and more convenient solar water heating systems were available commercially in the early 1900s. At one point nearly 1/3 of the homes in Florida use solar hot water.

As you consider the above and similar facts I think you can see that the dominance of fossil fuels has been very brief and very recent. As it becomes harder and more expensive to meet our energy needs with fossil fuel, we need to return to other sources.

Having said all that, let me give you my current definition of alternative energy: energy that comes from a source other than fossil fuels

Although some people use the phrase alternative energy and renewable energy interchangeably that really isn't the case. Well many even most forms of alternative energy are, in fact, renewable some aren't.

Concern for the environment has made people aware of the impact of burning fossil fuels. While price fluctuations and occasional interruptions and supplies makes it clear that we are also running out a fossil fuel. Factors such as these have led to the increased interest in returning to alternative energy sources.

When people think about alternative energy solar panels and windmills are probably the most common things that come to mind. However there are many other forms of alternative energy are ready available (for example geothermal and biomass) and researchers are exploring some entirely new possibilities

My expectation is that in the not-too-distant future the tables will turn: what we consider "alternative" today will be the standard tomorrow. Burning fossil fuels will be oddball alternative.

Related posts:

1. How To Use Alternative Energy In Your Home
2. Alternative And Renewable Energies
3. Homemade Solar Panel and its Importance as an Alternative Energy Source
4. The 4 Major Types Of Renewable Energy
5. Alternative Energy – The Next Generation Fuel