Alternative Energy is the Solution to the Fossil Fuel Dilemma

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Alternative Energy is the Solution to the Fossil Fuel Dilemma

If the United States continues to employ fossil fuels for energy, the nation will ultimately become more dependent upon fuel imports from the troublesome nations of the Middle East, and we will continue to damage our precious environment. Since the United States relies so heavily on fuel from the Middle East, the U.S. is subject to the will of those quarrelsome nations in order to maintain our fuel reserve. A shortage of oil can happen at any time and would cause an energy crisis that would hinder the United States. Another reason for us to substitute fossil fuels with alternative energy sources is that fossil fuels are hazardous to the environment. In order to minimize dependency on foreign oil and to maintain a habitable environment, the United States must maximize usage of alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal energy.

It is imperative for the United States to replace fossil fuel energy with modern Alternative Energy sources. We have evidence of disaster based on the energy crisis of the 1970s. Barbara R. Fogel has some interesting remarks on this subject:

It seemed like an inexpensive and innocent habit, but suddenly the United States found itself hooked on oil. Our very life—what we ate, how we lived, what we were, our heat and light, our jobs and cars—depended on oil, and now there didn’t seem to be enough to go around. (1)

Fogel is saying that we had become dependent on oil, and our suppliers were the troublesome countries in the Middle East. With most of our country’s energy coming from the Middle East, we were subject to obeying the whims of those countries in order to maintain our supply of energy. Fogel...

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Erwin, Christine A. “Solar Facts.” Solar Fact Sheets. Online.

http://www.seia.org/sf/sfclean.html. 1/25/99

Fogel, Barbara R. Energy Choices For the Future. New York: Impact, 1985

“Geothermal Energy.” The Plus Side Of Volcanoes. Online.

http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/PlusSide/geothermal.html. 1/25/99.

Goldin, Augusta. “Geothermal Energy Is an Abundant and Clean Energy Source.”

in Energy Alternatives. Ed. Bonnie Szumsk.

“Hydroelectric Power.” Hydroelectric. Online.

http://www.westminster.pvt.k12.ct.us/science/Escience/ES%20Projects/Sa…/Hydroelectric.htm.

1/30/99.

“Photovoltaics.” Pvexp. Online. http://www.seina.org/pvexp.htm. 1/25/99

“Raw, Clean, Power.” Solar Energy Limited Map. Online.

http://www.solarenergylimited.com/rawcleanpower.html. 1/25/99

“Wind Power Towers.” Popular Science. 14 December 1996: 14.

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