A flick of a light switch and the spark of an engine are everyday activities

that we take for granted. What if the world ran out of the resources used to make
these activities possible? What if heating your house was not a simple task that
could be done by pressing a button? This could be the case if we continue to use
nonrenewable energy resources. The article, Energy Resources states that the
use of these resources "is increasing at an unprecedented rate due to the rapid
industrialization of a number of formerly third world countries." At this rate, the
oil sand and oil shales will undoubtedly be cleared out in the future, along with
the coal mines. Many of the necessities we rely on use these resources, and
would be no longer able to function. Driving a car would be impossible without
gas made from oil, and heating your house would be a hassle without burning
coal. Once these resources are gone, the world population will be in serious
trouble. Luckily, there are alternative resources available that utilize the
renewable resources on Earth. Sources like wind, sun, biomass, and geothermal
energy will always be available for humans to use and will never threaten the
everyday normalcy of people's lives. With so many benefits and unlimited
supply, why haven't more individuals implement these new alternative energy
sources?
Why Non-Renewable Energy is Easier While some people are taking
advantage of the ability to go green, others agree with Chairman of the
Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, Tad Patzek and Professor Emeritus of
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University, David Pimentel, when
they say that "solar cells, wind turbines, and biomass-for-energy plantations can
never replace even a small fraction of the highly reliable, 24-hours-a-day, 365days-a-year, nuclear, fossil, and hydroelectric power stations" (Paztek, Pimentel).
They argue that these alternative sources are not as efficient at providing energy
because in reality, these renewable energy sources are not large scale enough to
compete with the normal carbon-emitting fuels. For instance, gasoline refined
from crude oil is still the cheapest form of energy for our automobiles and the
most accessible, so more people will use it. Also, trying to set up a field of solar
panels would be much more difficult and time consuming than using fossil fuels
for electricity. Each source of renewable energy has its own downfall, causing it
to stay as only a small percent of the primary energy production in the United
States. Issues With Renewable Energy Solar energy is seen as inefficient because
of the fact that a back up energy system must be used on loudy days or at night
when there is no sun. In addition, "the sun's energy is too widely dispersed and
the land area required to collect it too vast for solar to become a large-scale
power source" (Leher). Wind energy has the tendency to be unreliable because
of the fact that it only works when the wind in strong enough to power the
turbines. Nuclear power plants pose a large threat to those who live near them
because of the fact that they could melt down or be attacked. Biofuels use corn
to create ethanol, while "nearly 60 percent of the people on earth are currently
malnourished according to the World Health Organization" (Pimentel). Each
source of renewable energy has a downfall, but the benefits greatly outweigh
those of the widely used nonrenewable resources. These issues are what cause
people to have their reservations about using these resources but what most
people don't realize is that there is a serious sense of urgency in switching from
nonrenewable energy to renewable energy. The general public is also not usually
informed of the many benefits of alternative energy resources, so they are quick
to defend nonrenewable resources based on their reliability and efficiency.

Why Renewable Energy is Better Although the high price of these

alternative resources is an issue for most people, there is a serious problem
arising with using traditional energy.Because the human population continues to
use nonrenewable resources, they "are going to expire soon, [and] rices of these
sources are soaring day by day" (ConserveEnergyFuture.com). This can become
unbearable for many people because the economy is not doing well, so the
increasing prices of basic necessities would be difficult for people to pay for. With
the scarcity in jobs and deduction in alaries, the typical American can't afford to
pay for the price increases of nonrenewable resources. It is true that the initial
price of setting up the devices that facilitate the energy creation through
alternative resources is very high. For example, setting up solar panels or wind
turbines may be expensive initially, costing about $1,000 per solar panel and
between $3,000 and $5,000 per kilowatt of a wind turbine, costing up to $50,000
for one wind turbine (Windustry.org). This may seem ridiculously expensive, but
in the long run they will actually end up costing less than the outrageous amount
of money that people invest in these nonrenewable resources daily. The cost of
setting up the infrastructure that captures the natural resources like wind, sun,
and geothermal heat is high at first, but then "the fuel is free forever," and
limitless, unlike the carbon-based fuels that must be paid for every time they are
used (Wikipedia.com). In addition, the renewable energy technologies are being
improved, allowing efficiency to be increased and prices to be decreased as they
continue to develop. Clearly the initial expensive cost is balanced out by the
extremely low cost later on, and proves to be more beneficial than investing
money in nonrenewable energy sources with rising prices. Additionally, there are
"various tax incentives in the form of tax waivers [and] credit deductions" for
individuals or businesses that opt to go green, allowing the cost to actually be
less difficult to pay for because they are being charged less in taxes in return for
using renewable resources (Conserve-Energy-Future.com).
Environmental Benefits Another benefit of using renewable resources is
that they are safer sources of energy in terms of environmental effects. While
burning coal and using gasoline emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, these
alternative sources are much cleaner and will not contribute to the greenhouse
effect that is currently becoming a worldwide catastrophe. If we stopped relying
on carbon-based fuels and became dependent on renewable energy, then
"complete elimination of CO2 could occur as early as 2040" says the President of
the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, Arjun Makhijani. An
effective alternative to gasoline that is much cleaner for the environment is the
use of biofuels. "On a full fuel-cycle basis, corn ethanol has the potential to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 52% over petroleum-based
fuels" says the US Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy. It is clear that switching from nonrenewable resources to
renewable resources is necessary to cut down on the CO2 emissions that are
destroying our ozone layer. Furthermore, hydrogen as an energy carrier can be
burned and will release no carbon dioxide, only resulting in heat and water. The
fact that these alternative energy resources are more environmentally friendly
and green proves they are better than the nonrenewable resources that have a
detrimental effect on the environment.
Energy Efficiency Renewable energy sources are also very efficient in
terms of energy outcome. For example, the earth is able to receive around 51%

of the Sun's solar energy, according to the article Alternative Energy Resources,
so solar panels can absorb a large amount of solar energy on a sunny day. In
addition, a minimum of 10 mile per hour wind is all that it takes to spin the wind
turbines and receive about 50 to 300 kilowatts of electricity (Alternative Energy
Resources). Bioenergy is another beneficial form of alternative energy because it
requires the growth of plants to be used for fuel, and the plants help to reverse
the damage done by carbon dioxide emitting energy sources by absorbing CO2.
Also, the biomass accumulated from these plants can be turned directly into fuel
for transportation, allowing an alternative option for gasoline. Biomass, if not
turned into liquid fuel, can also be burned to generate electricity. Nuclear power,
another alternative energy source, is very efficient because it "is the only largescale, cost-effective energy source that can reduce these emissions while
continuing to satisfy a growing demand for power" says Patrick Moore, former
International Director of Greenpeace International.
Economic Benefits Alternative energy has proven to be extremely
beneficial not only for America, but also for the world. If America, specifically,
were to turn to alternativeenergy sources, then we could stop relying on other
countries, such as the ones in the Middle East, and become less dependent on
them. Not onlywould it help our country internationally, but it would also help to
stimulate the economy by giving people jobs, such as farming for biomass or
installing solar panels on houses. Economically, these alternative resources make
more sense, and environmentally, they can help to reverse some of the damage
that is being done by coal, oil, and natural gases. It's obvious that renewable
energy sources have cleaner products that still provide the same quality of
energy, so why aren't we switching to using them for energy as soon as possible?
It can't be etermined exactly how long we have before we use up all of Earth's
coal and oil, but it is a known fact that someday it will happen. With increasing
prices and continuing economic harm, I don't see why we still choose to rely on
nonrenewable resources. Sure they may be more accessible now and more
reliable, but the switch over to alternative energy is inevitable. With so many
advantages, I believe that we should begin to make nuclear power plants, wind
turbines, solar panels, and biomass farms widespread forms of energy because it
will help not only America, but all of mankind and especially the environment.
Why Renewable Energy is Better Although the high price of these
alternative resources is an issue for most people, there is a serious problem
arising with using traditional energy.Because the human population continues to
use nonrenewable resources, they "are going to expire soon, [and] rices of these
sources are soaring day by day" (ConserveEnergyFuture.com). This can become
unbearable for many people because the economy is not doing well, so the
increasing prices of basic necessities would be difficult for people to pay for. With
the scarcity in jobs and deduction in alaries, the typical American can't afford to
pay for the price increases of nonrenewable resources. It is true that the initial
price of setting up the devices that facilitate the energy creation through
alternative resources is very high. For example, setting up solar panels or wind
turbines may be expensive initially, costing about $1,000 per solar panel and
between $3,000 and $5,000 per kilowatt of a wind turbine, costing up to $50,000
for one wind turbine (Windustry.org). This may seem ridiculously expensive, but
in the long run they will actually end up costing less than the outrageous amount
of money that people invest in these nonrenewable resources daily. The cost of

setting up the infrastructure that captures the natural resources like wind, sun,
and geothermal heat is high at first, but then "the fuel is free forever," and
limitless, unlike the carbon-based fuels that must be paid for every time they are
used (Wikipedia.com). In addition, the renewable energy technologies are being
improved, allowing efficiency to be increased and prices to be decreased as they
continue to develop. Clearly the initial expensive cost is balanced out by the
extremely low cost later on, and proves to be more beneficial than investing
money in nonrenewable energy sources with rising prices. Additionally, there are
"various tax incentives in the form of tax waivers [and] credit deductions" for
individuals or businesses that opt to go green, allowing the cost to actually be
less difficult to pay for because they are being charged less in taxes in return for
using renewable resources (Conserve-Energy-Future.com).
Environmental Benefits Another benefit of using renewable resources is
that they are safer sources of energy in terms of environmental effects. While
burning coal and using gasoline emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, these
alternative sources are much cleaner and will not contribute to the greenhouse
effect that is currently becoming a worldwide catastrophe. If we stopped relying
on carbon-based fuels and became dependent on renewable energy, then
"complete elimination of CO2 could occur as early as 2040" says the President of
the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, Arjun Makhijani. An
effective alternative to gasoline that is much cleaner for the environment is the
use of biofuels. "On a full fuel-cycle basis, corn ethanol has the potential to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 52% over petroleum-based
fuels" says the US Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy. It is clear that switching from nonrenewable resources to
renewable resources is necessary to cut down on the CO2 emissions that are
destroying our ozone layer. Furthermore, hydrogen as an energy carrier can be
burned and will release no carbon dioxide, only resulting in heat and water.
Why Non-Renewable Energy is Easier While some people are taking
advantage of the ability to go green, others agree with Chairman of the
Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, Tad Patzek and Professor Emeritus of
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University, David Pimentel, when
they say that "solar cells, wind turbines, and biomass-for-energy plantations can
never replace even a small fraction of the highly reliable, 24-hours-a-day, 365days-a-year, nuclear, fossil, and hydroelectric power stations" (Paztek, Pimentel).
They argue that these alternative sources are not as efficient at providing energy
because in reality, these renewable energy sources are not large scale enough to
compete with the normal carbon-emitting fuels. For instance, gasoline refined
from crude oil is still the cheapest form of energy for our automobiles and the
most accessible, so more people will use it. Also, trying to set up a field of solar
panels would be much more difficult and time consuming than using fossil fuels
for electricity. Each source of renewable energy has its own downfall, causing it
to stay as only a small percent of the primary energy production in the United
States. Issues With Renewable Energy Solar energy is seen as inefficient because
of the fact that a back up energy system must be used on loudy days or at night
when there is no sun. In addition, "the sun's energy is too widely dispersed and
the land area required to collect it too vast for solar to become a large-scale
power source" (Leher). Wind energy has the tendency to be unreliable because
of the fact that it only works when the wind in strong enough to power the

turbines. Nuclear power plants pose a large threat to those who live near them
because of the fact that they could melt down or be attacked. Biofuels use corn
to create ethanol, while "nearly 60 percent of the people on earth are currently
malnourished according to the World Health Organization" (Pimentel). Each
source of renewable energy has a downfall, but the benefits greatly outweigh
those of the widely used nonrenewable resources. These issues are what cause
people to have their reservations about using these resources but what most
people don't realize is that there is a serious sense of urgency in switching from
nonrenewable energy to renewable energy. The general public is also not usually
informed of the many benefits of alternative energy resources, so they are quick
to defend nonrenewable resources based on their reliability and efficiency.