The Return to 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.
However our reliance on fossil fuels is relatively recent. It wasn’t that long ago that ships were powered by sales and horses move goods and people on land.
Dutch windmills are an icon of the country. Windows are also closely associated wit old ranches of the American West.
Many people are surprised to learn that producing solar hot water heating systems was a commercially profitable business in the latter part of the 19th century and early 20th century.
I think you can see that our dependence on fossil fuels is relatively recent. Rather than something completely new, using alternative energies is a return to an older practice.
Having said all that, let me give you my current definition of alternative energy: energy that comes from a source other than fossil fuels
We should make a distinction between alternative energy and renewable energy. People tend to assume that they’re one and the same but they aren’t. Some non-fossil fuel energy sources can be depleted.
However most sources of alternative energy are renewable as well as better for the environment than fossil fuel. That is why there is such interest in these types of energy these days.
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.
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