The Renewable Energy Horizon - Which Technology Will It Be?

Bill Kapeles will be a “guest writer” for me this week. Thank you Bill.

The Renewable Energy Horizon - Which technology will it be? — by Bill Kapeles

It is a well known fact that the world’s supply of crude oil will eventually be exhausted. In the meantime, the production of crude oil and the by-products of its use are contributing to global warming, wildlife habitat destruction, fresh water contamination, and the basic decline of environmental quality in general. The need for clean, renewable energy sources is more desperate than ever. The speed of arrival of these new sources will depend on many factors, the main one being the public’s willingness to put environmental concerns ahead of all others, primarily economics. As long as there is a profit motivation to continue to exploit the environment to produce oil, large companies will continue do so because we, the consumers, will pay them to do it.

The two technologies that seem to be most promising are electricity and bio-fuels. Dramatic progress has been made in the production of hybrid vehicles that use gasoline powered engines to charge electrical power systems, but they still rely on fossil fuels to provide the energy to create the electricity. In my opinion they, at best, represent a nice compromise between current fuel use and what the future requires.

Bio-fuels, on the other hand, offer a completely renewable energy source (vegetable oil producing crops), clean burning, and an existing technology for their use. They are also very inexpensive when compared to fossil fuels. The major problems with their use is that they require a diesel type engine to be burned. Most vehicles in the United States are gasoline powered and would require replacement.

One bit of good news is that the large manufacturers are already considering the use of diesel engines in all types of vehicles, much as they have been doing in Europe for years. This possible technology change has great implications for the future of bio-fuels.

So which will win? If the oil companies have their way, the gas/electric hybrids will win out. They will maintain their dominance until every last drop of crude oil has been squeezed out of the planet, though it may take a few years longer to do it. Once that happens, they will miraculously discover bio-fuels and lament “if only we had known!” We cannot let this happen.

Something that must be considered, however, is that every facet of our economy relies on the consumption of fossil fuels. We each drive our cars, food and material is hauled by fossil-fuel burning vehicles, etc. The large corporations that develop fossil fuels, vehicles, and everything else in this society, have a vested interest in maintaining the use of fossil fuels as the primary energy source. They stand to lose billions if there is a large-scale change to bio-fuels.

If environmentally conscious people have their way, the bio-fuels will win the battle. All engines will convert to diesel power, and bio-diesel will become the newest, cleanest energy source on the planet. Unfortunately, as the demand for bio-diesel rises, the cost will inevitably go up, and large companies will again create the profit-based exploitation of that resource. That may or may not create the same type of situation that the major oil companies enjoy now. How can we avoid that in the future?

So what will the future hold for our energy sources? Weigh in and share your ideas, your sources of information, and anything else you may think about this issue. We all have a choice in this enormous question - vote with your dollars. Use bio-fuels or electric power for yourself and your family. We must all convert to greener energy sources to send the message to the oil companies that we will not wait for the oil to run out!

This article is also being published on Catherine Morgan’s Informed Voters blog. Drop by and enjoy Catherine’s other great articles.

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