ProjectLiveGreen

Due to the massive global consumption of valuable fossil fuels for energy, scientists and energy specialists all over the world have been striving to come up with an alternate source of clean usable energy. While no one has found a perfect replacement for fossil fuel consumption, there are many clean energy sources available for everyday use.For example, wind can be converted into useful energy through the use of wind turbines for electricity, wind mills for mechanical power, wind pumps for water draining, and sails for ship transportation. The main problem with using wind as an energy source is people’s “NIMBY” mentality. NIMBY, or ‘Not in my Backyard’, refers to people refusing to allow the construction of wind farms because they are not aesthetically pleasing. There are also geographic limitations on wind energy’s powersit can only be effective in windy areas.Another energy alternative that is growing in popularity is biomass. Bioenergy uses organic matter such as crops, trees, wastes and residues, animal wastes, municipal wastes, and other renewable resources to create make biofuels and convert previously worthless matter into energy. Currently, the US uses bioenergy for 3 of its primary energy consumption. The only renewable energy source with more availability in the US is hydropower. According to the US Department of Energy, the hydro electric facilities in the US can create enough power to supply 28 million households with electricitythat’s nearly 500 MILLION barrels of oil.Though technology continues to advance and energy breakthroughs continue to be made on a small scale, the world is still desperately in need of a more reliable energy source. Since the devastating oil spill in the Gulf Coast, the need for alternate clean energy is even more pressing than ever.