An Alternative Energy Sources - Research Paper Example

? Can alternative energy sources end human dependence on oil? Introduction With spiking oil prices, the world is looking for alternative renewable sources of energy. The cost of oil is increasing significantly, and therefore many countries are trying to find alternative sources of energy. Pollution is another problem that has forced the world to think about alternative sources of energy. But there are two different schools of thoughts on alternative energy source. One of them argues that alternative energy sources are the answer to ending human dependence on oil and the other argues that alternative energy sources, no matter what, cannot decrease human dependence on oil. People who argue that alternative sources cannot end human dependence on oil show skepticism towards alternative energy sources. They argue that no significant breakthrough is yet to come, and therefore it might not be possible for the world to end its dependence on oil. Both schools of thoughts have different arguments for their point of view. In this paper we will explore arguments given by both the sides in great detail, and will try to conclude whether alternative sources of energy can, in fact, end human dependence on oil or not. Alternative Energy Sources Can end Human Dependence on Oil In this section we will present arguments given in favor of the alternative sources of energy. Firstly, this school of thought highlights the dangers of pollution, which is a consequence of our dependence on oil. Alternative sources of energy should be appreciated because they can significantly reduce pollution that is a direct consequence of oil. Using oil as a source of energy is extremely harmful for the society and therefore alternative sources of energy should be explored. Natural oil also creates problems for the environment and makes life difficult for the people in general. Many skin and lung diseases are common in people who live in highly polluted regions. This is all because of human dependence on oil. The impact of dependence on oil is extremely harmful for the sustainable world. Many oil companies are busy extracting oil reserves that are beneath the seas and oceans. This causes problems for the sea life and is detrimental for underwater animals. Sea pollution also affects human economy as fishing is a source of income for a large number of people all over the world. This is another dangerous consequence of increasing dependence on oil. All these points are made by people who support alternative sources of energy in order to make the world realize about the dangers of use of oil. They believe that people in general have long been fixated with the idea of using oil as energy without realizing its dangers. It is therefore vital, according to this school of thought, to make people understand dangers of oil use. There is a lacking of belief that alternative sources of energy can replace oil, and this is why alternative sources of energy are not popular today. Dangers of oil are presented as argument in favor of alternative sources of energy. Another argument made by supporters of alternative sources of energy is that there is already technology available that can reduce human dependence on oil. They argue that in fact today we can use alternative sources of energy to reduce human dependence on oil because the technology is already available. For example solar energy, electrical energy, wind energy, and bio fuels are good alternative of oil , and all of them can play a role in decreasing pollution, associated with use of oil, significantly. All the above mentioned sources of energy are renewable sources and technological advancement is constantly lowering the cost these sources making it feasible (Turk & Bensel, 2011). This is quite an argument given by people who favor the use of alternative sources of energy. They argue that technology is already available and its feasibility is also improving every day, and this is why alternative sources of energy can play a significant role in reducing human dependence on oil. Another argument of supporters of alternative sources of energy is that oil and energy companies are playing a great role in making sure that these renewable sources of clean energy are not made available for general use. This is presented as an argument for potential of alternative sources of energy. Alternative sources of energy have the capability to reduce human dependence on oil and this is why energy companies and oil companies are trying very hard to fight alternative energy sources. Oil companies are making significant profit from extraction and selling of oil, and they would not like to lower their profit, which is the reason why alternative energy is not being made available in the market. Oil companies will go out of business if human dependence on oil is decreased or even lowered. This is why they try to fight alternative energy sources in order to save their lucrative business. Another argument forwarded in support of alternative sources of energy is that the technology has a lot of potential because many people are starting to use alternative energy sources in order to reduce their reliance on traditional fuels. For example solar panels are being used all over the world now to create electricity. Wind energy and bio fuels are also being used. Such examples tell us that alternative energy sources have a lot of potential and therefore they can decrease human dependence on oil. Proponents of alternative sources of energy argue that it is imperative that these sources are used to fulfill the energy needs of the world because of environmental issues like global warming. They argue that there is no option but to use such sources as a replacement for oil, if we are to ensure our survival. Global warming has already changed the world as we know it and in order to avoid total destruction it is vital to take steps right now (McKibben, 2011). It is not a matter of choice, but in order to ensure survival of the human civilization it is essential that alternative sources of energy are used. Alternative Energy Sources Cannot end Human Dependence on Oil There is also a school of thought that argues against alternative sources of energy and thinks that alternative energy sources cannot end human dependence on oil. In this section we will present argument forwarded by this school of thought. The first argument given by this school of thought is regarding cost of alternative sources of energy. They argue that commercial feasibility of such sources is highly questionable, and therefore in near future there is no hope that alternative energy sources will decrease human dependence on oil. The cost of using alternative energy is still very high even after all the research that is being done with regards to alternative sources of energy. This is why it is not possible to lower human dependence on oil through use of alternative sources of energy. It is not possible for the whole world to use expensive energy and ignore a cheap alternative that is available in abundance. Cost of producing electricity through alternative sources like wind and solar power is quite expensive and therefore they cannot replace oil. It is true that commercial feasibility of alternative sources of energy is yet to be determined and therefore this is presented as an argument against the use of alternative means of energy as a replacement for natural oil. Cost of using alternative energy is higher and therefore human dependence on oil cannot be lowered in anyway. Another argument given by opponents of alternative sources of energy is that for alternative energy countries will have to change their infrastructure. For example new car engines will be required, and new infrastructure will be needed to distribute energy from alternative energy sources. This cannot happen in the near future and therefore it is not possible for humans to decrease their dependence on oil. Alternative energy sources will also make US industries uncompetitive, as argued by opponents of alternative energy (Stone, 2009). Alternative energy sources will increase the rate of electricity thus making local industries uncompetitive by increasing cost of production. This is another argument use against the use of alternative energy sources. Because they will hurt the economy, opponents of alternative energy, argue that human dependence on oil will not be decreased due to alternative energy sources. Another argument forwarded by opponents of alternative energy sources is that alternative energy sources are not as renewable and environmental friendly as advocated. Technology infrastructure that is required for alternative energy sources will have to derive at the expense of environment. For example, some rare earth metals are required for creating solar panels and electric cars which will also hurt the environment (Virtanen, 2010). This is why alternative energy sources will not do any good to the environment. Human dependence on oil will not decrease significantly by using alternative energy sources because it is not possible in a short of medium term to change everything around and create new infrastructure. This will not be good for economy of any country because this will need a huge amount of money, and environmental friendliness is also not guaranteed. This is why human dependence on oil is not going to end. No country will spend a significant amount of money on the infrastructure in tough economic times. This is another reason why oil usage will not decrease significantly in near future. New oil reserves are being discovered constantly and therefore there is no shortage of oil in the world. This is another reason why alternative energy sources cannot replace oil in near future. Oil reserves are not reducing significantly and therefore there is no danger of exhausting oil reserves. This is why renewable energy is not expected to take place of oil. Energy is being produced through oil and because there is no shortage of oil it is not possible for the whole world to shift to alternative energy sources. This is another argument given against alternative energy replacing oil. Government support is important in making alternative energy available and there is a strong case against government funding of alternative energy, according to experts (Doren & Taylor, 2008). Government support of alternative energy is not economically feasible and also it will also not be good for markets. Without government support it is impossible for alternative energy to become famous and therefore it is not possible to end human dependence on oil in the short term by using alternative energy. Nuclear energy is one of the alternative sources of energy and it has very harmful ramification as seen in Japan in recent days. It is also used as an argument against alternative sources of energy. It is argued that the world has tried and tested alternative sources of energy but has failed to find a replacement of oil. It is therefore not possible to decrease or end human dependence on oil. Who is Right? After exploring the arguments of both schools of thoughts, it can be safely concluded that alternative energy sources can decrease human dependence on oil. All the arguments made by opponents of alternative energy are not very sound and therefore alternative energy can significantly reduce human dependence on oil. It is true that a lot of money is involved in the energy business and many businesses won’t want alternative energy sources to take over the market. This is why a strong economic case is built against alternative energy sources. Technology is improving and it is possible that in near future dependence on oil is reduced significantly. Powerful companies are trying to protect their interest and this is why alternative energy is not being used as much as it should be used all over the world. Another important reason to support alternative energy sources is the fact that oil is extremely harmful for human and animal life, and therefore it is important to find alternatives. Alternative energy sources have shown their potential and therefore it is not possible for people to continue arguing in favor of a source of energy that is harmful for the environment. Moreover commercial feasibility of alternative sources of energy will have to be made and research will have to be carried out. Currently alternative energy is not the focus of the attention of many companies and this is why it is not commercially feasible. Alternative energy sources can be used as a replacement of oil because they have shown their potential. People are using sola power, electric energy, and bio fuels all over the world as fuels. It is important for the world to think and reconsider its dependence on oil because cheaper alternative might be available. Research is important to drive the cost of alternative energy down and once that is done, alternative sources of energy can play a role in reducing human dependence in oil. Conclusion Alternative energy sources can reduce human dependence on oil because it has shown potential and people have seen what alternative energy sources can do. Many all around the world are using alternative source of energy and therefore it is not only important but vital that dependence on a fuel that is not environment friendly is reduced. More research is required for making alternative energy sources economically feasible and then they can decrease human dependence on oil. References Doren, P, V. & Taylor, J. (2008). The Case against Government Support for Alternative Energy. CATO Institute. Retrieved on October 7, 2012, from http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/case-against-government-support-alternative-energy McKibben, B. (2011). Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet. New York: Knopf Canada Stone, A. (2009). Can Clean Energy Be Cheap Energy? Forbes.com. Retrieved on October 7, 2012, from http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/01/renewable-energy-standard-business-energy-renewables.html Turk, J., & Bensel, T. (2011). Contemporary Environmental Issues. Retrieved on October 7, 2012, from https://content.ashford.edu/books Virtanen, M. (2010). Six Arguments against Alternative Industrialism. Anarchist News. Retrieved on October 7, 2012, from http://anarchistnews.org/node/10819 Read More