| The trend toward homes that are powered by | | | | drawing up the hot water is for the gathering of |
| alternative energy sources, ranging from wind | | | | the steam. The Geysers, approximately 100 miles |
| turbines and solar collection cells to hydrogen fuel | | | | north of San Francisco, is probably the |
| cells and biomass gases, is one that needs to | | | | best-known of all geothermal power fields; it's an |
| continue into the 21st century and beyond. We | | | | example of a dry stream plant. |
| have great need of becoming more energy | | | | Waste gas energies, which are essentially |
| independent, and not having to rely on the | | | | methane, reverse the usual energy-pollution |
| supplying of fossil fuels from unstable nations who | | | | relationship by creating energy from waste that |
| are often hostile to us and our interests. | | | | lies in the dumps and from some air pollutants. |
| One of these alternative energy resources is wind | | | | This gas is used in fuel cells and can be used in |
| power. Wind turbines continue to be developed | | | | standard gasoline generators. |
| that are progressively more energy efficient and | | | | Ethanol is a gasoline substitute and is created |
| less pricey. "Wind farms" have been springing up in | | | | from such things as wheat, sugarcane, grapes, |
| many nations, and they have even become more | | | | strawberries, corn, and even wood chips and |
| strategically placed over time so that they are | | | | wood cellulose. There is controversy over this fuel |
| not jeopardizing birds as former wind turbines did. | | | | with regards to its ever becoming truly |
| One of these is solar power. Solar power is driven | | | | economical or practical except in very localized |
| by photovoltaic cells, and these are progressively | | | | areas, but technologies for its extraction and |
| getting less pricey and more advanced. Solar | | | | admixturing are continuously being refined. |
| energy power can be used for electricity, heating, | | | | Biodiesel energy is created out of the oils |
| and making hot water. Solar energy produces no | | | | contained in plants. So far, the commercial stores |
| pollution, as its input comes completely from the | | | | of biodiesel have been created using soybean, |
| sun's rays. However, much more work still needs | | | | rapeseed, and sunflower oils. At the time of this |
| to be done in order for us to economically | | | | writing, biodiesel is typically produced by |
| harness the sun's energy. For the time being, the | | | | entrepreneurial minded individuals or those who |
| resource is a little too conditional-storage batteries | | | | want to experiment with alternative energy, but |
| are needed to be used as backups in the | | | | commercial interest from companies is on the rise. |
| evenings and on inclement days. | | | | It burns much cleaner than oil-based diesel. |
| Hydroelectric energy is available as a source of | | | | Atomic energy is created in atomic energy plants |
| alternative energy, and it can generate a | | | | using the process of nuclear fission. This energy is |
| substantial amount of power. Simply put, | | | | extremely efficient and can generate huge |
| hydroelectric energy uses the motion of water-its | | | | amounts of power. There is concern from some |
| flow in response to gravity, which means | | | | people about what to do with the relatively small |
| downhill-to turn turbines which then generate | | | | amount of waste product atomic energy gives |
| electrical energy. Needless to say, water is | | | | off, since it is radioactive and takes hundreds of |
| ubiquitous; finding sources for driving hydroelectric | | | | years to decay into harmlessness. |
| turbines is, therefore, not much of a problem. | | | | The splitting of an atom releases energy in the |
| However, hydroelectricity as a source of | | | | forms of both heat and light. Atomic power plants |
| alternative energy can be complicated and | | | | control the fission reactions so that they don't |
| expensive to produce. Dams are often built in | | | | result in the devastating explosions that are |
| order to be able to control the flow of the water | | | | brought forth in atomic and hydrogen bombs. |
| sufficiently to generate the needed power. Building | | | | There is no chance of an atomic power plant |
| a dam to store and control water's potential and | | | | exploding like a nuclear bomb, as the specialized |
| kinetic energy takes quite a lot of work, and | | | | conditions and the pure Plutonium used to unleash |
| operating one is complex as well, and | | | | an atomic bomb's vicious force simply don't exist |
| conservationists grow concerned that it. Of | | | | inside a nuclear power plant. The risk of a |
| course, a dam is not ever needed if one is not | | | | "meltdown" is very low. Though this latter event |
| trying to supply the electrical needs of a city or | | | | has happened a couple of times, when one |
| other very densely populated area. There are | | | | considers that there are over 430 nuclear |
| small run-of-river hydroelectric converters which | | | | reactors spread out across 33 nations, and that |
| are good for supplying neighborhoods or an | | | | nuclear reactors have been in use since the early |
| individual office or home. | | | | 1950s, these are rare occurrences, and the |
| Probably the most underestimated and | | | | events of that nature which have taken place |
| under-appreciated form of alternative energy is | | | | were the fault of outdated materials which should |
| geothermal energy, which is simply the | | | | have been properly kept up. Indeed, if nuclear |
| naturally-occurring energy produced by the | | | | energy could become a more widely accepted |
| heating of artesian waters that are just beneath | | | | form of alternative energy, there would be little |
| the earth's crust. This heat is transferred into the | | | | question of their upkeep being maintained. |
| water from the earth's inner molten core. The | | | | Currently, six states in America generate more |
| water is drawn up by various different | | | | than half of all their electrical energy needs |
| methods-there are "dry steam" power plants, | | | | through nuclear power, and the media are not |
| "flash" power plants, and "binary" power plants for | | | | filled with gruesome horror stories of the power |
| harnessing geothermal energy. The purpose of | | | | plants constantly having problems. |