Alternative Energy – What’s Old Is New Again
There’s a lot more news about alternative energies recently. Different people have different ideas about just what it is. They also have different ideas about how long alternative energy has been around. I wrote this article to give my perspective on
One way to approach a definition of alternative energy is to consider what “regular” energy is. Ever since the mid 19th century, fossil fuels such as coal and oil have provided an increasing proportion of our energy needs. Fossil fuels have become the energy standard against which other forms of energy are considered alternative.
Our current perspective blinds us to the fact that the emergence of fossil fuels as the dominant form of energy happened only recently in world history. Wind, animals and hydropower were the dominant sources of energy until the mid-19th century.
A windmill by a ranch house is an icon of the American west because thousands of windmills were used to provide power to pump water before electricity was available.
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.
Remembering these facts helps us keep things in perspective. The use of fossil fuels is more of a brief detour in energy history rather than a dominant stream. As fossil fuels become more expensive and environmental consequences become clear we actually are returning to other sources.
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.
Most sources of alternative energy have less environmental impact and burning fossil fuel. And most are renewable, meaning we don’t have to worry about running out of them. These considerations have led to the increased interest in exploring alternative energy today
When people think about alternative energy solar panels and windmills are probably the most common things that come to mind. However there are many other forms of alternative energy are ready available (for example geothermal and biomass) and researchers are exploring some entirely new possibilities
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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