Are alternative energy sources the answer to ending human dependence Assignment

Are alternative energy sources the answer to ending human dependence on oil - Assignment Example There are numerous forms of energy such as geothermal, solar, fossil fuels, biomass, nuclear, and wind energy among others. Of all the forms of energy, human beings have tended to depend mostly on oil for their energy uses. Enerdata (2011) notes, oil is the most popular and dominant form of energy in recent times constituting over 60% when combined with coal. With the increasing energy consumption, dependency on oil increases. It is this increase that has raised concerns among environmental activists and other persons and institutions who are concerned with sustainable environment. Their concerns are informed by the fact that oil as a source of energy has limited capacity and cannot be relied upon to sustain the energy needs of the present and future generations. The other major concern is the fact that oil energy has adverse effects to the environment and has greatly contributed to the global warming phenomenon which is undermining the very existence of human life (Boyle, 2004). It is against this background that the need for alternative energy sources has heightened. Alternative energy sources are necessary in order to substitute oil energy as the major source of energy hence reducing dependency on it. Alternative energy sources will provide large amount of power which will be essential in meeting the energy needs of the world’s growing population. Alternative energy sources are the answer to ending human dependence on oil. Indeed, oil is the dominant energy source across the world presently. It is a non- renewable source of energy. It is a natural resource present in some parts of the world and has numerous applications. Despite having negative effects to the environment, oil is considered as one of the most efficient source of energy. However, due to immense consumption the resource is getting scarce. According to World Energy Outlook (2010), oil energy dominance as a source of energy cannot be disputed and has many uses in industries, automobiles, p lanes, and homes. Production of electricity in most instances relies on oil to run stream turbines. Cars, tractors, buses, and industrial machineries all depend on oil. Also, production of industrial products that are consumed by people is facilitated in great part by oil energy. In a nutshell, oil energy is intertwined to survival of the human race. However, this does not mean that oil energy has no substitutes (Tester et al, 2005). In order to understand oil energy and the importance of alternative to reduce dependency on it, it is important to understand the types of oil energy. They include; petrol, ethane, diesel, gasoline, liquefied petroleum gas, fuel oil, gasoline, kerosene, and fuel oil. Vital lubricants used in machineries and automobiles are also considered as oil products. All these types of oil and oil products play crucial role in making human life better and easier through increasing efficiency of machines and equipments. Despite the usefulness and many applications o f oil energy in the world, it is agreeable especially among ‘environmental conscious’ persons that oil energy have immense adverse effects to the environment and there is need to substitute it with alternative energy sources in order to reduce dependency on it. Turk and Bensel (2011) argue that oil energy is contributing to environmental degradation in numerous ways.