The full cost of fossil fuels has recently become glaringly apparent. The oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico claimed 11 lives and has already taken a huge toll on the economy and ecology of that region. In early April the Massey Energy coal mine explosion killed 29 miners and was the worst US mine incident in 40 years. These tragedies shed light on the need for a shift in thinking and investment in alternative energies.

Everyone knows that oil and coal reserves will not last forever (with oil projected to run out in 40 years and coal in 155) and the recent catastrophes make very clear the external costs of such heavy reliance on these energy sources. The need for research and spending on alternatives like hydrogen, wind, and solar energy technologies has never been more obvious.

Dictating the Future of Energy

It is nonsensical to continue to depend on finite sources of energy that are so environmentally and economically damaging. Alternative energies on the other hand are:

- More abundant and renewable (the sun and wind are all around us)

- Cleaner (far less environmental impact)

- Safer (have you ever heard of a solar spill or wind explosion?)

If oil and coal were the only options we had on this planet, modern life as we know it would be doomed. They are, of course, not the only power sources we can utilize and mankind’s outlook does not need to be so grim. However, by failing to recognize and develop alternative energies, this is the bleak future we are choosing. The good news is that governments and the people don’t have to make this dismal choice. There is no time like the present to initiate forward thinking energy programs to ensure the future of the planet and our children.

Impetus for Alternatives

As horrible as the recent oil and coal catastrophes have been, there may be some good that can be salvaged from them. They have clearly illustrated our dependence on fossil fuels, an addiction that has been ignored for too long. Unfortunately, it might just take devastating events like these to move the government away from fossil fuels to greener options.

The anger and frustration within the public over the oil and coal accidents is palpable and it seems like a very advantageous time to promote alternative energies. The human, economic, and environmental impacts of the latest coal and oil accidents have shed light on the less obvious, yet devastating, costs of these energies.

Global warming is now a well known and researched product of fossil fuel consumption, yet it cannot be felt or seen by most people in their daily lives. The Gulf oil spill and West Virginia coal mine explosion on the other hand have had very visible and poignant effects. Perhaps this observable impact will be the impetus for change the world has needed for so long. Here’s hoping it doesn’t take another fossil fuel disaster to compel lawmakers and the rest of us to take action on promoting alternative energies.

San Fransisco, California is making a splash in the civil planning industry. At the end of May, 2009, Mayor Gavin Newsom cut the ribbon on the first of many Solar Powered Wi-Fi bus stops that will be lining the streets of San Francisco in the coming 5 years. These sleek, curvaceous and modern bus terminals do it all. Their LED lights, intercom schedule system and even Wi-Fi routers are all powered by the stream-lined and efficient solar panel roofing. Talk about efficient! This bus stop in the Richmond district of sunny San Francisco, California is the first of about 1,100 solar powered, Wi-Fi bus stops the city plans to have in place by 2013.

Cleverly Designed With the Environment in Mind

The solar panels embedded within the poly-carbonate roof are said to harness enough energy to run all of the bus stops operations and even have some left over to return to the grid. This patented approach to solar panels was created by 3form Materials Solutions just for this project and the structure was designed by Olle Lundburg of Lundburg design. He says it was his first civic project. To add to the appeal of these innovations, they are produced 75% of recycled material. Certainly an eco-friendly production.

In addition to benefiting the frequent users of San Francisco’s public transportation, this project will also have one key benefit for the city: Free Wi-Fi, everywhere! I’m sure no one has any complaints about this. There will be enough of these Wi-Fi powerhouses to make the whole city a Wi-Fi zone. Upon cutting the ribbon Mayor Newson said, “Transit shelters that use photovoltaics, LEDS, and Wi-Fi are going to be standard in the future and I’m proud that San Francisco is once again acting like the pace car for other cities by trying and implementing these technologies.

Setting an Example: Will the Rest of the World Follow Suit?

So what’s the catch? Well, there isn’t really one. Although the MTA hiked fares by 50 cents, they claim it has nothing to do with the extreme expense of these bus stops ($25,000 to $30,000 each), but many people deny this. For now, no one is complaining. These bus stops satisfy everyone from the environmentalist tree hugger, to the internet-dependent business man, to the average Joe trying to get to work. San Francisco, California is setting a standard of excellence and forward momentum in the United States and hopefully other cities and states will follow suit very soon.

Early Experimentation with Alternative Fuels

The first known use of vegetable oil as fuel was a demonstration of a diesel engine built by the Otto Company and designed to burn mineral oil. They tested it to run on pure peanut oil at the 1900 World’s Fair and it worked.

Another example of vegetable oil being used as fuel was investigated by Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine. Using vegetable oil to fuel engines of his design, in a 1912 presentation to the British Institute of Mechanical Engineers, he cited a number of efforts in this area and remarked, “The fact that fat oils from vegetable sources can be used may seem insignificant today, but such oils may perhaps become in course of time of the same importance as some natural mineral oils and the tar products are now.” What an uncannily accurate predication from almost 100 years ago.

Today, many people are experimenting and turning over to alternative fuels. With gas and diesel prices always on the rise and the more apparent environmental risk from using fossil fuels, consumers are looking for alternatives that can help power their engines.

Fast Food Fuel

Companies like GreaseCar knows exactly how consumers feel. They sell deluxe kits to convert your car into a bio-fuel car that uses used vegetable oil from restaurants. Most of these alternative fuel users utilize filtered frying oil that is collected from local restaurants. Most restaurants are happy to give their oil away as they generally have to pay a fee for proper disposal.

Going Green Means Big Savings for an Alabama School System

Recently in the news, agriculture officials and the Montgomery Public School system in Alabama are exploring the possibility of using cooking oil from the school’s cafeteria to fuel their fleet of school buses. Starting this fall, Alabama State students will collect cooking oil from the cafeterias, turn it into biofuel and use it to run buses in a pilot program. Students at the schools will also be encouraged to bring used oil from their homes.

“When we’re able to collect this grease and fuel for 72 cents a gallon, hopefully we’ll be able to do two things – we’re going to lower the fuel cost for the school systems and we’re going to be environmentally friendly,” state agriculture commissioner Ron Sparks said Wednesday. 

Having a steady and reliable supply of fuel that is less than a dollar a gallon and safe for the environment sounds like a win-win idea to a lot of folks.

Farmers Turn to Biofuel Cash Crops

Across the nation, farmers are growing cash crops canola and other vegetables in hopes of selling them for alternative biofuels. Some Pacific island nations are already using coconut oil as fuel to reduce their expenses and their dependence on imported fuels, while helping stabilize the coconut oil market. Coconut oil is only usable where temperatures do not drop below 62 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes it perfect for use in the South Pacific region.

Check out Dueling Fuel’s overview of the top alternative energy technologies being developed today including solar farms, tidal turbines, waste to energy sources, and much more throughout the site.

The luxuries and necessities that we have grown so accustomed to are the reason why the switch from oil to a renewable source of energy will not happen soon enough for us to shed our dependence on a finite resource. People talk and say that we need to cut back, we are destroying our world, but many are not doing anything about it.

It was trendy to boycott, to conserve, and to act when the gas prices shot so high. Talking about solar power, hydro electric power, global warming, and alternative fuels was the Hollywood thing to do. Now that the prices at the pump have fallen back to a reasonable rate, people have fallen back into their habits of traveling more, filling up the gas tank, turning the heat up just that little bit so they can be warm instead of just ‘not cold.’

A Way of Life Obtained through Progression Cannot Be Sustained Without Progression

These habits are not bad habits, but they are the actions that perpetuate the dependence on oil.

They are not wrong doings in and of themselves, but they are hurting the environment immensely.

It is not inherently evil, but it is destroying the world.

It is not intentional, but it is real and now, what other choices do we have?

It Needs to be Practical to Be Applicable

Convenience most likely will be the determining factor. Fuel Cell cars, poised to be the rescuer of the ozone and our wallets, cannot yet sustain a vehicle for more than 35 miles without a refill. Outside of California, filling up is out of the question because there are no refueling stations. The environment will benefit now if the changes are made, but people will not benefit, and that will hold people back. The Earth cannot be saved without sacrifice.

Home energy solutions are in the works but they are too distant, too impractical, too expensive. Things like hydro electric power and solar power feed off resources we already have, but to make them practical the technology would have to sustain a home with all of the necessities and most of the comforts and be affordable to the majority of Americans. While both alternative energy resources are on the way to doing this, neither is there yet.

Questions that Need to be Asked

What switch will we see when we have the ability to sustain our houses with alternative energy? Will houses throughout Arizona, Nevada, and California have large photovoltaic cells on their roofs? Will the coastal cities like New York, Boston, and Miami take in their energy from generators on the ocean floor? Will people be asked to spend their own money, or will the government offer incentives? Will that increase taxes? And for who? What will happen to those who don’t convert? What will be the socioeconomic impact be?

Long term, the effects will no doubt be positive, but it’s likely that in order to take that great leap forward we will have to take several steps back first. We must come to grips with the possibility that if we do not sacrifice a little now, we will have to sacrifice a lot more painfully later.