Al et al.,
There are many energy sources available to use besides fossil fuels. Obviously most of the world uses fossil fuels for electricity generation (burning of coal), heating (burning nat. gas), and transportation (various types of gasoline made from oil), and alternative fuels make up only a small percentage. Nuclear power generates ~20% of US electricity (although here in Illinois the percentage is much higher than that), and is the only non-fossil fuel that is used in any considerable abundance worldwide. France for example generates ~80% of its electricity from nuclear power. The US was at one point scheduled to have many more nuclear reactors than it has now, but many of these plans were cancelled in the 1970s-80s due to growing public concern over anything nuclear (nuclear holocaust, 3 mile island, cold war, cuban missle crisis, etc.etc.). Our low use of nuclear power comes not from a lack of U fuel, poor technology, or high cost, but rather from political pressures that make nuclear power rather difficult to push forward. In my opinion this is mostly due to public ignorance, but there are of course significant concerns with the disposal of radioactive waste.
All of the other alternative fuels (hydrothermal, solar, wind, hydroelectric, ocean currents, tides, etc.), however, are not used much today because of cost. Oil is, or at least has been for the past few decades, fairly cheap energy (and still is really). It is also fairly easy to store and transport, unlike some of the alternative fuels. With demand for energy on the increase, and supply of oil perhaps on the decrease, the price of oil will likely continue to rise and these alternatives will become more economically viable. I've no doubt that there will be an oil crisis in the "near" future, but I have my doubts that there will be an energy crisis. Some on this list seem to equate the two. However, the transition may not be completely without hiccups and bumps - but a realistic national energy policy could go a long way to averting those bumps, in my opinion.
Best Regards,
Charles
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Charles W. Carrigan, Ph.D.
Olivet Nazarene University
Dept. of Geology
One University Ave.
Bourbonnais, IL 60914
PH: (815) 939-5346
FX: (815) 939-5071
Received on Thu Jan 5 02:34:40 2006
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