Alternative energy exploration debate

"Alternative energy" is a term used to refer to any energy source other than fossil fuels, such as oil (petroleum), natural gas, and coal. An ongoing debate exists over what forms of alternative energy are the safest, most cost-efficient, and most practical to replace and/or supplement fossil fuels. Some activists believe that government agencies and powerful lobbyists are hindering investigation into alternative energy in an effort to support the fossil-fuel industry.

As a source of energy, fossil fuels are limited and cause numerous harmful environmental effects. Many modern energy companies are studying and developing alternative fuel sources. In recent years, governments around the world have increased the resources dedicated to the development of alternative energy.

The perception that the demand for fossil fuels dominates some foreign-policy decisions has led to political protest movements. Critics of fossil fuels also contend that the continued use of fossil fuels may lead to catastrophic environmental repercussions. Opponents of alternative energy exploration argue that oil, coal, and natural gas companies are using whatever energy sources are available and economically practical to meet current demand.

Understanding the Discussion

Biomass Fuel: Biological material, such as wood, wood products (pellets, sawdust), and plant and animal waste, that can be burned to create energy.

Fossil Fuels: Combustible materials such as oil, coal, and natural gas that are derived from the remains of formerly living material, such as plants and animals.

Geothermal Energy: Energy generated from the heat produced beneath the earth’s mantle; usually in reference to the use of subterranean steam or hot water to drive turbines that produce electricity.

Hydrogen Fuel: Hydrogen gas or the chemical mixture of hydrogen and oxygen used to power engines directly through combustion or via fuel cell batteries.

Hydropower: The use of the kinetic energy in moving water such as rivers or tidal currents to generate electricity.

Nuclear Power: Energy that is harnessed from reactions among radioactive isotopes.

Renewable Energy: Power generated using natural resources, such as wind, solar energy, tides, and geothermal energy that are naturally replenished.

Solar Power: The use of sunlight to capture electrons and generate electricity.

Wind Power: The use of the kinetic energy in moving air to generate electricity.

History

Fossil fuels have been an essential source of energy since humans first discovered coal. From Neolithic times to the eighteenth century, humans made only minor improvements to coal, oil, and wood-burning technology. The steam engines of the 1700s were the first machines to use fossil fuels to power mechanical processes.

By 1802, cities in Europe were using natural gas to operate street lamps and to create electricity. The first company in England to sell coal-gas for lighting was founded in 1806. In 1816, a coal-gas electric company was established in Baltimore, Maryland.

In 1823, inventor Samuel Brown created an internal combustion engine and demonstrated the potential of fossil fuels to power vehicles. By the 1830s, steamships and passenger locomotives increased the demand for fossil fuels while increasing the transport and trade of fossil-fuel products.

In the late 1830s, scientists discovered photovoltaic compounds, which release energy when exposed to light. This discovery eventually led to the development of solar cells and solar power. In 1839, William Robert Grove invented the first hydrogen fuel cell, which harnessed electricity from the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen.

In the 1850s, commercial oil drilling began in Titusville, Pennsylvania; by the next decade, the global export of petroleum had begun. Soon after, automobiles began using combustion engines, creating additional demand for fossil fuels.

In the late 1880s, hydroelectric power first became commercially available in the United States, and solar power was discovered in Europe. Governments established the first energy departments shortly before the turn of the century.

In 1908, the first Iranian oil well was drilled. The Middle East would soon become one of the world’s leading sources for fossil fuels. In the next decade, the US government created energy legislation to prevent monopolies and to develop utility power as a public trust.

The first nuclear reactor project aimed at energy production was initiated in Brookhaven, New York, in 1947. At the same time, political tensions between the United States and Middle Eastern countries threatened the US supply of oil.

During the 1940s and 1950s, environmental concerns about fossil fuel usage became more pronounced as smog produced by the burning of these fuels in Europe and the United States was blamed for illness and death among humans.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was formed in 1960. The Arab-Israeli War began in 1967, and soon after the Arab states announced an oil embargo against the United States and the United Kingdom for their support of Israel in the conflict.

Over the next decade, the United States suffered oil shortages, and rationing was established in some states. The United States reorganized its energy policies during the 1970s and established commissions to regulate nuclear energy and develop alternative energy sources.

In 1970, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established. Damage to natural areas as a result of energy harvesting was one of the first issues addressed by the agency. In 1976, Congress authorized a committee to examine the potential for the development of electric vehicles, with the goal of reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

In 1979, further military and political disturbances in Iran prompted a campaign to reduce American dependence on foreign oil. As demand for foreign petroleum products fell, OPEC cut oil prices, and diplomacy with Middle Eastern nations helped to reestablish the supply of imported oil for the United States and Europe. Government support for the development of electric-powered vehicles declined.

Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 caused a rise in oil prices. The intervention of the United States and other nations in the conflict was viewed by some as an effort to protect the region’s supply of fossil fuels.

Alternative Energy Exploration Today

According to the US Department of Energy, the United States uses more of the world’s fossil fuels than any country but China, but has a higher per-capita consumption rate. A large percentage of United States’ oil supply comes from regions that suffer from political instability. The United States maintains a military presence at oil fields and production sites around the world, and it actively protects oil pipelines in the Middle East and Central America. US forces took control of oil production facilities during the 2003 invasion of Iraq; critics charged that this was the main objective of the invasion and occupation.

Fossil fuel energy is relatively cheap to produce and most of the world’s technology is geared toward the use of fossil fuels. However, fossil fuels are a nonrenewable energy source, as their production requires millions of years. Alternatives such as wind power and hydropower are renewable and produce little pollution, but environmentalists sometimes object to these as they can contribute to habitat destruction.

Solar and geothermal power are pollution-free and require little intrusion upon natural habitats. Problems with solar energy include the high cost of manufacturing and distribution. Hydrogen fuel has been expensive to manufacture, handle, and distribute, and it requires a great deal of initial investment compared to other alternative energy programs.

The US automobile and energy industries have made significant investments in ethanol-powered, hybrid electric, and battery-electric vehicles. A number of government mandates have urged the development of alternative energy.

In 2017, BP (formerly the British Petroleum Company) released research indicating that there are an estimated 1,696.6 billion barrels of oil left in the world’s reserves, which BP predicted would run out within about fifty years if consumption continued at 2017 levels. According to proponents of alternative energy exploration, these numbers mean that at the very least, governments should adopt programs aimed at increasing efficiency of fuel usage, if not promoting immediate and drastic reductions in fossil fuel consumption.

Some activists believe that global governments are actively discouraging research into alternative energy in support of the multibillion-dollar fossil-fuel industry. More moderate critics argue that governments are simply investing too little energy or resources into research and development. Opponents of alternative energy development argue that governments are awaiting a viable alternative to current fuel sources while attempting to protect and enhance current supplies.

After taking office in January 2009, US president Barack Obama made the promotion of the alternative energy industries a mainstay of his plan to grow the American economy and stimulate domestic job creation. On April 20, 2010, an explosion occurred aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil drill, which was owned by BP. Thirteen people were killed in the incident. Before the oil leak that resulted from the explosion was stopped on July 15, 2010, approximately 206 million gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. The incident galvanized supporters of alternative energy development.

In February 2011, revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt resulted in widespread social and political unrest throughout the Middle East, which resulted in speculation over control and pricing of world petroleum supplies. After violence broke out between pro-government and antigovernment forces in Libya, worldwide oil prices increased. However, in late 2014, oil prices began to fall due to a number of factors: less consumption in Europe and China, a glut of reserves (prompting Saudi Arabia particularly to reduce its output), and increased US production from shale rock formations, which made the country less dependent on imported foreign oil.

Ironically, one outcome of the domestic shale boom of the mid-to-late 2010s was the growth of hydrogen fuel produced by "reforming" methane, the major component in natural gas. At the same time, the sudden supply of natural gas lowered the cost of that fossil fuel and encouraged Americans to switch to it for home applications, such as heating and cooking.

According to a 2017 Gallup poll, about three-quarters of Americans wanted additional government funding for alternative energy technologies such as solar and wind power, while fewer than half said they supported further oil exploration on public lands. Although that poll found that ordinary Americans had less concern over the abundance or cost of energy, debate remained within the energy sector as to how and when alternative energy technologies could be cost competitive with conventional fossil fuels and to what role, if any, government should play in facilitating that shift.

These essays and any opinions, information or representations contained therein are the creation of the particular author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of EBSCO Information Services.

Bibliography

Books

Bent, Robert. Energy: Science, Policy, and the Pursuit of Sustainability. Washington: Island Press, 2002. Print.

Deffeyes, Kenneth E. Beyond Oil: The View from Hubbert’s Peak. 2006. New York: Farrar, 2013. Digital file.

Goodell, Jeff. Big Coal: The Dirty Secret behind America’s Energy Future. New York: Houghton, 2006. Print.

Gore, Al. An Inconvenient Truth. New York: Rodale, 2006. Print.

Jaccard, Mark. Sustainable Fossil Fuels: The Unusual Suspect in the Quest for Clean and Enduring Energy. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2005. Print.

Shelley, Toby. Oil: Politics, Poverty & the Planet. London, England: Zed Books, 2005. Print.

Vaitheeswaran, Vijay V. Power to the People: How the Coming Energy Revolution Will Transform an Industry, Change our Lives and Maybe Even Save the Planet. 2005. New York: Farrar, 2015. Digital file.

Periodicals

Amin, Adnan Z. “How Renewable Energy Can Be Cost-Competitive.” UN Chronicle, vol. 52, no. 3, Sept. 2015, p. 8. Points of View Reference Center, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=112988110&site=pov-live. Accessed 23 Oct. 2018.

Klee, Ann R. “Solving the Global Energy Challenge.” Environmental Forum 31.6 (2014): 18. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 23 Oct. 2015. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=99306909&site=pov-live

Kumar, Supriya. “No Stopping Fossil Fuels.” USA Today Magazine 143.2830 (2014): 14. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 23 Oct. 2015. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=97261100&site=pov-live

McDonnell, Tim. “The Hidden Costs of Dirty Energy.” Mother Jones 40.5 (2015): 14. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 23 Oct. 2015. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=108796214&site=pov-live

Newport, Frank. “Americans Tilt toward Protecting Environment, Alternative Fuels.” Gallup News Service, Mar. 2017, p. 2. Points of View Reference Center, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=122046148&site=pov-live. Accessed 23 Oct. 2018.

Nye, David E. “The United States and Alternative Energies since 1980: Technological Fix or Regime Change?” Theory, Culture & Society 31.5 (2014): 103–25. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.

Philips, Matthew. “Oil Prices Fall, and the Global Economy Wins.” Bloomberg Businessweek. Bloomberg, 2 Oct. 2014. Web. 20 Nov 2014.

Tubb, Katie. “Unleashing Energy Winners.” American Conservative, vol. 16, no. 1, Jan. 2017, p. 20. Points of View Reference Center, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=120257796&site=pov-live.

Vanderburg, Willem H. “The Most Economic, Socially Viable, and Environmentally Sustainable Alternative Energy.” Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society 28.2 (2008): 98-104. Academic Search Complete. Web. 22 Oct. 2015. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=31645404&site=ehost-live.