mimibear96



By Aimee Buchanan and Brendon Strowe



__ Table of Contents __
•How Alternative Energy Sources Help Our Environment •Different Types of Alternative Energy Sources -The Power of the Sun -Ethanol -Wind -Water •Current Energy Sources •Possible Energy Sources of the Future •Costs of Alternative Energy Sources •Videos

Why care about alternative energy sources? Imagine a world without oil, wood, or coal. What do we use for energy? Possibly unlimited energy sources such as the sun, water, and wind. Not only will these energy sources never run out, they also don't ruin our enviornment. Alternative energy sources take the place of harmful energy sources. They are a great way to conserve limited energy sources and keep our planet ** green **!

**__ How Alternative Energy Sources Help Our Environment __**
Alternative energy sources can be very helpful, for they take the place of many harmful energy sources that hurt our environment daily. These // green // energy sources provide a clean, earth friendly way to get daily job done. For example, instead of using oil or coal, we can use wind power. Coal and oil send pollution into the air making it dirty and unhealthy to breath. However, wind power produces no waste or emissions like oil or coal. Wind energy is a great way to provide energy to remote places, and is inexpensive. When sunlight, wind, and water are used as energy sources, it is tremendously helpful and kind to our environment because we are using nearly unlimited sources to power our homes and businesses. They help improve our environment mainly because they don't rely on very limited resources like oil and coal. They are also clean and not harmful.

**__ Different Types of Alternative Energy Sources __**
__**The Power of the Sun**__-Solar panales are a great alternative energy source. By using solar panals, we are reducing the amount of coal and other harmful energy sources used to power our houses. Solar panals do not harm our environment and they power buildings very efficiently. Eicke Weber, a German scientist that is an expert in solar panels states, "The total power need of the human population on earth is apperximately 16 TerraWatts (1TW-1trillion Watts). In the Year 2020, it is expected to increase to 20 TW. The sun provides about 120,000 TW per minute." That shows how almost limitless the sun's power is.  **__ Ethanol __** -Ethanol is made from sugars in cellulose. Corn has a lot of cellulose in it and is usually used in the making of ethanol. Ethanol is used as a great, ecofriendly way to power cars. Although you it is usually combined with gasoline, ethanol is a great way to reduse pollution. Any recently manufactured car can run on ethanol. It is also cheaper than gas, which can save you a lot of money.  **__ Wind __** -Wind power is one of the most helpful alternative energy sources. It can be used for drying your laundry, powering a sailboat, flying a kite, and powering communities and businesses. In 2005, houses in Colorado that switched to a wind power source saved 4 dollars each month on their electric bill. Wind power costs less than fossil fuels, and it did't produce any pollution. Also, wind is a resource that never runs out. 
 * __Water-__** water is is also a nearly unlimited resource. There's lots of it! About 75% of the earth is water. Already, we use water to drink, bathe, and everyday use. We can also use it to power our houses, our cities, and even our whole country! By building hydro electric dams, we are saving money, and conserving limited resources such as coal. We are also reducing pollution.



**__ Current Energy Sources __**
Petroleum: about 40% Nuclear Power: about 8% Coal: about 23% Natural Gas: about 22% Renewable energy is only about 7% of the energy we use today. That 7% is made up of: Geothermal: about 0,4% Waste: about 0.7% Biofeuls: about 0.8% Wood: about 2.1% Hydroelectric Power (water): about 2.9%



These are the energy sources the United States currently uses. As you can see, fossil fuels make up a very large precentage of our current energy sources. If we continue to use fuels like coal, they will eventually be all used up. Fossil fuels also produce harmful pollution that goes into the air and makes it harmful to breathe.

 = **__ Possible Energy Sources of the Future __** = A few fascinating possible energy sources of the future include nuclear energy, solar, water, and waves. We currently depend too much on fossil fuels, and sooner or later, they will be all used up. Future generations will need the option of alternative energy sources if we want them to be able to survive. We need to conserve our supply of limited energy sources, and by turning to alternative energy, they will last much longer. One possible idea we can use in the future is nuclear fusion. Similar to normal nuclear power, nuclear fusion is safer than nuclear power because it does not produce harmful radio activity. However, we haven't learned to make nuclear fusion work in a controlled fashion. We can make nuclear explosions such as the hydrogen bomb, but we still can't make a quiet and peaceful little by little fusion that would supply us with safe energy. Maybe we'll be able to do it someday!

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 = **__ Costs of Alternative Energy Sources __** = Although useful, alternative energy sources are quite costly. Especially in a resscession, people are reluctant to pay more for alternative energy. However, with the constant rise of natural gas prices, wind power could start to look cheap. The Electric Power Research Institute predicts that by 2015, wind power will cost one-third more than coal and 14% more than natural gas. Is alternative energy worth the price? YES. Everyday, Americans greedily consume ridiculous amounts of limited resources. A few expensive bills and a little discomfort is just a small price to pay for a clean planet. Fossil fuels produce greenhouse gasses, which creates global warming, which melts the ice caps. Before you know it, the whole state of Florida is underwater and it's all because people didn't want to turn their heat down and pay a slightly more expensive bill. Although global warming is a long, slow process, it still could mean disastear for future generations. Converting to alternative energy is also a long, slow process, but in the end its worth it. So buy a snuggie, turn the heat down, and begin conserving today. Alternative energy sources help save our planet and reduce pollution, and they are a great way to get started on the quest to "go green " !



__ Videos: __
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**__Sources__**:

 * **Plugging Into the Sun **
 * **[|Alternative Energy] **
 * **[|US Energy Sources]**