"Links" Post

http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/

This blog played a key role in my development on the topic of alternative energy.  With its interesting posts and integrated videos it has allowed me to learn different methods of renewable energy in a quick and easy manner.

http://www.altenergy.org/

This website allowed me to further expand my knowledge on alternative energies.  It provided unbiased information about alternative energy.

http://www.nolanchart.com/index.php

This website was extremely useful when I was deciphering the different political viewpoints on energy.  The site breaks up different viewpoints on political matters between liberals, libertarians, centrists, statists, and conservatives.  This site would also be helpful to find many political viewpoints from different political parties on different subject matters.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/38490911?par=RSS

This CNBC article provided current unbiased news about energy in the upcoming midterm elections.  It allowed me to get a basis of knowledge about the topic of energy in the upcoming midterm elections.

http://curtrosengren.typepad.com/alternative_energy/

This blog allowed me to get an understanding about what was going on with last year’s politics concerning energy.  It provided me a good basis for my knowledge about energy in the midterm elections.

http://p3bfco.wordpress.com/2010/05/16/let%e2%80%99s-talk-about-this-oil-spill/

This blog was written by a conservative and exposed me to some biased material about the BP oil-spill and some other views on alternative energy.  It was good to get some biased views from a conservative standpoint concerning my subject.

http://cwgpolitics.blogspot.com/

This blog provided some liberal incite on my subject matter.  It also provided a good basis of energy and how it has developed over the past few hundred years.

Creative Ideas That Will Change The Future Of Energy

With the energy crisis at hand a lot of people are creating remarkable devices that can capture energy from things most people would not even think of.  While conducting some research I came across tidal energy.  Basically turbines are put underwater and are propelled by the constant movement of ocean tides.  After seeing this I came across another innovative invention called the VIVACE (Vortex Induced Vibrations for Aquatic Clean Energy).  Developed by Michael Bernitsas and his team, the VIVACE can harness energy from water currents moving slower than 2 knots.  This is remarkable considering the fact that most water turbines need water moving at least 5 knots to operate. 

This invention I believe appeals to both conservative and liberal view points on the subject of alternative energy.  Installing devices like the VIVACE will provide jobs and stimulate the market because new materials will be needed to create VIVACE’s.  Jobs like these can replace jobs lost in the fossil fuel market, if and when the world switches to alternative energy sources.  Also, the VIVACE runs purely on the vibrations in water currents, a plentiful resource that will be around as long as humans are.  This means that non-renewable resources that are being vastly consumed by today’s population will eventually come to an end; leading to the end of large carbon emissions into the atmosphere and other forms of pollution created by the consumption of fossil fuels.

Not one new way of capturing energy will fix the worlds dependence on oil, but creative inventions like this one is what will fix today’s energy crisis. 

"Class-Links" Post

http://healthcared-carolina.blogspot.com/

This blog provides accurate information and keeps me updated on the issues with Obama’s Health Care Bill.  The author and I have similar views on the Health Care Bill and I am intrigued by the fact that the author of this blog desperately wants people to become more educated with the Health Care Bill before they state their opinion.  It bothers me when people try to argue about things they are uneducated about. And it comforts me to know that there is a blog concerned with the issues about uneducated Americans who try to argue for something they know nothing about.  Check this blog out if you want to be an informed arguer.

http://legalpotincalifosho.blogspot.com/

I follow this blog because I am interested about the legalization of pot in California.  The author of this blog provides unbiased information about the issue.  I have learned that both sides of this argument have effective arguments and supportive evidence for their beliefs.  If you are interested in being informed about the issue of pot in California then view this blog.  The author provides a substantial amount of background information so anyone can make educated arguments after reading.

http://mosqueman2010.blogspot.com/

The evaluation of the argument about whether or not the construction of a mosque close to ground zero should be allowed has been an interesting blog.  This blog has questioned some of my ideas about this argument and has provided me with useful information.  Although both sides of the argument are not equally presented, I have found this blog to be informative in all aspects of why the mosque should be constructed. 

Implications Post

Implications of an unresolved problem concerning fossil fuels and alternative energy will be devastating both for the economy and for the environment.  According to an article I read about fossil fuels the world can potentially run out of fossil fuels between 15 and 60 years from now at the present rate of consumption.  This will be economically devastating if the world continues to be dependent on these non-renewable resources.  Currently 28% of the world’s energy comes from coal, 40% of the world’s energy comes from oil, and 20% of the world’s energy comes from natural gas.  Once these run out there is going to be an economic deficiency and I believe the world will go into panic mode.  Most of the world’s automobiles, planes, trains, etc. run on these non-renewable resources and when these resources are gone there will be no more means of transportation.  Also a large part of the world’s power plants will be forced to shut down, causing further economic deficiency.  With the backbone of the world’s economy at a halt the world will not be able to function as it is now.  People will not be able to travel as efficiently, goods and services that were once considered a necessity will become luxuries.  The world will be sent into the dark ages.  So if the world as a whole does not find alternative energy sources quickly then the world is at risk of catastrophe.

A similar implications are true with the environment.  The use of fossil fuels pollutes the earth in more ways than one and if the world continues to use fossil fuels then we will continue to destroy our environment.  Eventually, the destruction of the environment could be so vast that entire ecosystems will be wiped out and the world will be altered forever.  This could lead to economic problems as well.  Tourism may decrease in places where environments, that were once beautiful to tour, are destroyed and those places may lose money because of lack of tourism. 

BP Damage Claims

http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/politicalcartoons/ig/Oil-Spill-Cartoons/BP-Damage-Claims.1-Tp.htm

NC Alternative Energy

I was recently conducting some research about recent news involving alternative energy and I came across an interesting article.  Basically I learned that even in the midst of our economic troubles, alternative energy companies in North Carolina are growing rapidly.  According to this year’s census, there has been a 22% increase of alternative energy company employees.  Also, “N.C.’s renewable energy and energy efficiency industries continuing to lead the Southeast and a majority of respondents believe that our state is poised to become a national leader provided North Carolina adopts necessary policies and efforts to promote and expand the industries.”
It is a reassuring feeling to hear that even with recent economic troubles alternative energy is growing.  This is the kind of alteration America needs to wean off of fossil fuels and to become a greener nation.  The fact that these renewable energy companies are growing after the recent economic depression shows the potential these companies have.  Alternative energy companies are vital for our countries future and it feels good to live in the state that may be leading our country in renewable energy.  Hopefully in the near future more states will be recognized on their implementation of alternative energy into the economy.  Actions like these will allow America to lead the world in green technology and guarantee America’s position as the worlds superpower for the next century.

Theory Post

The debate:  When and to what extent should America depend on alternative energy?  This debate has been growing exponentially since global warming became a political issue during Richard Nixon’s presidency.   Presently, the need for alternative energy is accepted by the general public as a necessary action.  However, conservatives tend to lean towards the idea that abandoning oil to save the environment is not economically smart and will lead to an economic catastrophe and liberals tend to lean towards the idea that not abandoning oil will lead to an environmental catastrophe greater than anything that could be caused by economic failure.  Conservatives and liberals have been butting heads over this matter for years and I believe that each party will continue to stand on complete opposite ends of the matter unless something drastic is implemented.

My theory is that more research about environmental and economic impacts is necessary to come to a consensus on this debate.  No one knows exactly how much oil is left in the ground.  No one knows the true effects of removing fossil fuels from today’s economy.  No one knows exactly how much more carbon emissions the earth’s atmosphere can handle.  The only thing concrete about this debate is that we have altered the environment and that our economy is primarily fueled by the production and consumption of fossil fuels.  Once more research is completed and more factual data is obtained liberals and conservatives will be more inclined to reason with one another and reach a means of agreement on how much America needs to depend on alternative energy.

Analysis Post

Offshore drilling and the use of fossil fuels are becoming a thing of the past.  The world is starting to “go green” and that’s the right direction.  There is no sense to hurt the environment with emissions of carbon into the atmosphere when we have the technology to provide energy without the use of fossil fuels.  For some time now Alternative Energy has been gaining more and more popularity.  With the 2010 midterm elections around the corner and the recent BP oil-spill disaster fresh in mind, I believe Alternative Energy should be a primary concern with voters. 

Society as a whole has exponentially been depleting non-renewable resources since the Industrial Revolution in the 1700’s.  These non-renewable resources are commonly referred to as fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas).  Today, fossil fuels make up a little over 85 percent of the United States energy consumption.  Now, energy is a positive element to society, it allows today’s world to function.  However, the way we presently capture energy (offshore drilling, mining, and burning) is correlated with many negative externalities.  Fossil fuels are non-renewable and therefore they increase in price as supply decreases.  The rising prices of fossil fuels are negative for our economy because money spent on energy will be taken away from money spent on other goods and services.  Also, fossil fuels pollute the environment by emitting harmful greenhouse gases into the earth's atmosphere.  Basically, people are consuming energy but the negative effects of this energy consumption are not only felt by the consumers; they are felt by every living person on the planet. 

The use of fossil fuels isn’t perceived fully as a negative process.  This is why Republicans want to continue offshore drilling.  “There are 47 million gallons of crude oil that seep into US waters annually from the ocean floor;” a quote that a conservative article bases its view upon.  The article questions: Why not be able to capture that oil instead of letting it flow freely into the ocean?  Humans would be collecting oil that is harming the environment naturally and putting it to use.  Also, the fossil fuel industry is the largest industry in today’s market.  It provides millions of people with jobs, money, and financial security.  Without oil and other fossil fuels our economy would be extremely limited.  These are just some of the positives correlated with fossil fuels.

       

Right now I think that Americans should start slowly transforming into a greener nation.  The complete removal of fossil fuels from our economy in a short amount of time would be detrimental.  Instead, Americans need to slowly switch to alternative energy sources.  Our economy needs time to adjust to a different stimulus other than these non-renewable resources.  In a march White House Press Briefing, offshore drilling politics were discussed.  Obama and his administration want to decrease our dependence on foreign oil and increase research in alternative energy fields to provide more jobs.  Obama and his administration believe that the country leading in greener energy technology will be the superpower of the next century.

Obama’s opposing party begs to differ.  Republicans believe that since we are starting to halt our offshore drilling practices other countries will soon pass us in strength.  Europe and China have no intentions on stopping their expanding offshore oil market.  In fact, China is negotiating with Cuba to have rights to drill near the cost of Florida.  Republicans ask why not drill if other countries are doing it?  Especially if they are drilling off our coast lines.   

In June 2009, “The American Clean Energy Act” was passed as a means of decreasing carbon emissions and eventually eliminating our nation’s dependence on fossil fuels.  Primarily supported by liberals, this bill’s strategy was to use cap-and-trade methods to break our dependence.  The cap-and-trade goal is to protect the environment without restricting economic growth.  Conservative Americans doubt the productiveness of this Act.  Republicans believe that this cap-and-trade move will restrict economic growth because of the extreme prices the bill forces onto energy.  All conservatives believe that cap-and-trade will do is cut off “Americas Ingenuity and innovation”.

Yes, going green is everything but inexpensive.  Recently I was helping my father install energy efficient spotlights around our house.  These spot lights were nearly 3 times as expensive as the traditional spotlight.  These “going green” acts will continue to be expensive for quite some time, at least until the majority of the public decides to go green.  It’s all about the law of supply and demand.  If demand for something is low then the supply is low and the product is relatively expensive, but if the demand for something is high then the supply is high and the product is relatively inexpensive.  However, changing something as big as the consumption of fossil fuels will be no easy task, especially for America. “As of 2008, the average American household had 2.28 vehicles.”  This change would involve switching a vast amount of gas-guzzling vehicles to an alternative vehicle that uses a different kind of energy. 

One thing I believe is that hybrid cars should become more widely used.  They use a lot less gasoline, but still use it.  Therefore, over time the demand for gasoline will go down and the demand for cleaner alternative energy sources will go up.  The oil industry is the largest industry in the world and it cannot be abandoned all at once. It will take years to transform the market to not depend on fossil fuels.  Long run benefits would, however, be greater than the short run costs and oil will not be as necessary for our economy.

If everyone else is doing it... Why not us?

China, Cuba, Brazil, and Mexico are just a few of the many countries that are putting up substantial amounts of money for the exploration of oil and the construction of oil rigs.  The recent BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has done nothing to deter these countries from expanding their offshore drilling practices, but it has done a lot to deter us from expanding ours.  What does not make sense to me is the fact that other countries are drilling right off the cost of Florida.  Ok, maybe the United States believed that other countries would follow our moratorium of off shore drilling, but no one is.  I think we should continue offshore drilling and offshore drilling exploration.  We just need to proceed with caution and be ready for any future disasters involving oil.

This does not mean to limit research and development of greener technologies.  Alternative technologies are what we need to eventually depend on.  But right now off-shore drilling and other fossil fuel related energy methods should not be abandoned.

Obama believes that the next world super power will be the country that leads the world in green technology.  This statement is only part correct; the world is not ready to completely move away from the consumption of fossil fuels yet.  That is why I believe the next world power will be the country that leads the world in green technology along with old-fashioned fossil fuel technology.

Biased Views

I was doing some research about alternative energy and stumbled upon the completely polarized views on the BP oil spill.  This one weblog: “Let’s talk about this oil spill,” frustrated me.  It is a completely biased blog; it bashes Obama and his administration for either using the oil spill disaster to halt offshore drilling in our oceans or for not having a capable plan that could provide solutions for the disaster.   I agree that the clean-up efforts have been weak, but I would go as far as saying the government is involved in a conspiracy.  The idea that Obama and his administration just let the BP oil spill happen is a bit farfetched, but everybody has their opinions.

What frustrates me is the number of biased articles that are out there, especially on this topic of alternative energy.  Although it should be accepted considering the opposing viewpoints related with politics, I still think these viewpoints are counterproductive.  Why waste time arguing over what should be done?  Why not come to an agreement?  I know political wars have been around since the dark ages and a lot of people have asked these questions before, but I felt the need to further emphasize them. 

If liberal views and conservative views could come to a medium the government would become exponentially more productive, especially in the field of alternative energy.  What I have been saying all throughout my blog would be a result of this phenomenon.  America would make a gradual shift from fossil fuels to other forms of energy without the loss of jobs or a devastated economy.  We would once again lead the world through the next century.  But if politics continue to sway us from a decision, other superpowers will pass us with ease.

An Optimal Method

In June 2009, “The American Clean Energy Act” was passed as a means of decreasing carbon emissions and eventually eliminating our nation’s dependence on fossil fuels.  This bill’s strategy was to use cap-and-trade methods to break our dependence.  In my opinion the cap-and-trade technique is optimal because its goal is to protect the environment without restricting economic growth.  It appeals to both sides of the argument on going green.  What more can anyone ask for?

The problem: Our economy is not prospering.  People’s pockets are very shallow and therefore “green” energy techniques are not a priority anymore.  Even with the recent BP oil-spill clean energy is not as popular as it should be in the upcoming midterm elections.  Unemployment doesn’t help either.  With the halt of offshore drilling, oil workers are feeling unemployment worse than most Americans.

There are a lot of strategies to consider and choices to be made in the near future involving energy.  My opinion is that we should continue with a cap-and-trade method.  Yes gas prices have been relatively stable, but that doesn’t mean people should not push for an alteration to greener energy methods.  Why wait until gas prices skyrocket?  Why wait until fossil fuels are completely consumed?  If we are dependent on fossil fuels when they diminish our economy will have a real problem.  At least we can start moving away from our dependence now without major deficits to our economy (as long as the alternative approach to energy is economic friendly like a cap-and-trade method).  But if we wait America is going to have real problems.

A Gradual Shift

I do not believe that fossil fuels are a thing of a past.  Obviously they are not.  Do cars still not run on gasoline?  Do nations not continue drilling for oil?  My assertion is that they are becoming a thing of the past.  Yes, going green is everything but inexpensive.  Recently I was helping my father install energy efficient spotlights around our house.  These spot lights were nearly 3 times as expensive as the traditional spotlight.  These “going green” acts will continue to be expensive for quite some time, at least until the majority of the public decides to go green.

 It’s all about the law of supply and demand.  If demand for something is low then the supply is low and the product is relatively expensive, but if the demand for something is high then the supply is high and the product is relatively inexpensive.  However, changing something as big as the consumption of fossil fuels will be no easy task, especially for America. “As of 2008, the average American household had 2.28 vehicles.”  This change would involve switching a vast amount of gas-guzzling vehicles to an alternative vehicle that uses a different kind of energy. 

Right now I think that Americans should start slowly transforming into a greener nation.  The complete removal of fossil fuels from our economy in a short amount of time would be detrimental.  Instead, Americans need to slowly switch to alternative energy sources.  Our economy needs time to adjust to a different stimulus other than fossil fuels.  One thing I believe is that hybrid cars should become more widely used.  They use a lot less gasoline, but still use it.  Therefore, over time the demand for gasoline will go down and the demand for cleaner alternative energy sources will go up.  Long run benefits would be greater than the short run costs and oil will not be as necessary for our economy.

Intro

There are plenty of debates going on between politicians because of the upcoming midterm elections.  One of the more prominent debates is concerning energy.  The recent BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is one event that is largely fueling this debate.  Prior to the spill Obama called for “opening swaths of U.S. coastal waters in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico to oil and natural gas drilling.”  His view has stayed consistent through the BP disaster.  However, Obama believes that offshore drilling can only be continued if the proper precautions are made to remove the risk of another oil spill. 

Offshore drilling does provide jobs and valuable natural resources that can only improve our economy.  However, I feel like offshore drilling and the use of fossil fuels is becoming a thing of the past.  The world is starting to “go green” and I think that’s the right direction.  There is no sense to hurt the environment with emissions of carbon into the atmosphere when we have the technology to provide energy without the use of fossil fuels. 

Throughout the next few weeks I plan to explore energy alternatives and their effect on our nation’s economy and the environment.  Alternatives such as nuclear power, wind power, and solar power can improve both the US economy and our affect on the environment.