The New Rise of Alternative Energy

Alternative energy seems to be all the rage today, but a lot of people have are unsure of what it is or have different definitions. I hope this article clears things up,

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.

I’m sure you seen a picture of a ranch house in the American West with the windmill next to the homestead. They originally were used to pump water. Later they were actually used to generate a small amount of electric power (say, enough to power of crystal radio) in the days before rural electrification

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.

Remembering these facts helps us keep things in perspective. The use of fossil fuels is more of a brief detour in energy history rather than a dominant stream. As fossil fuels become more expensive and environmental consequences become clear we actually are returning 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

While many people automatically assume that alternative energy sources are renewable, that isn’t necessarily so. For example, burning peat for heat is an alternative energy, but it is neither clean nor renewable.

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.

The alternative sources people most commonly think of are solar power, wind power and hydropower. However, researchers are eagerly exploring other innovative sources as well. These include things such geothermal, biomass and tidal power.

In the not too distant future we can expect that these forms of energy will no longer be “alternative” but instead be our dominate sources.