I’m dreaming of alternative energy

I’m dreaming of a future with alternative energy. Residences with wind and solar devices that provide all of their energy needs. Vast fields of switchgrass and other crops grown for ethanol production that effectively cut our dependence on foreign oil.

Decreased destruction to our environment due to decreased need to search for more oil in our national parks and reserves.

OPEC shrinking in world importance because of a lesser demand for their natural resources. Wars becoming a less viable option because we don’t need to covet our neighbors oil resources.

Maybe this is only a dream but there is no denying it is one worth struggling for. And we can make it happen. If only we were motivated enough to commit to it. Our lack of motivation to implement alternative energy policies has become very costly.

For instance, in our rush to secure continued access to global oil reserves we are spending billions on the military to that end. Money that would be better spent for research of alternative energy sources. While we are playing this hand, other countries, such as France and Germany, have already developed alternative energy policies and have decreased their dependence on oil rich countries. This is turn increases the cost of oil to America, because of the rule of supply and demand. OPEC wants to keep their revenue stream fat and if other countries don’t buy from them then the countries that do have to take up the slack, meaning higher cost to us.

The cost of a barrel of oil is far higher than OPEC’s asking price. The true cost is in its kilowatt/hour ratio. Billions are spent each year in securing of oil, in searching for oil, in the mobilization of our military to assure its continued flow to the U.S. The value of American soldiers lives has no price tag but must be included in the cost of our dependence on oil to squander on oversized SUV’s and transportation of products that consumers can live without.

The U.S. has the a more highly evolved, technologically advanced military than anyone else but we are being left behind in the race toward technological developments of more efficient renewable energy systems. This, to me, is a gravely missed opportunity that will eventually cost us dearly.

Alternative energy will greatly reduce our dependence on the natural resources of other countries. This alone would do more to ease political tensions than any diplomat could ever hope for. It will also reduce the need for such a large military.

To believe in the need for reduced greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprints to have a healthier existence is a no-brainer. Yet we are convinced that the cost of alternative energy is too prohibitive. How do these costs compare to the number of deaths from smog-related heart attacks and lung cancer, asthma suffering, costs to clean the air we breathe, costs to clean up the huge stretches of shoreline every time a monstrous oil tanker breaks apart, cost to the environment from searching for a few barrels of oil in places like the Alaska wildlife reserve and Colorado’s national parks or the continued removal of coal by strip-mining the West Virginia landscape. The loss of lives and the continued destruction of pristine and beautiful places such as these is unforgivable when we have valid alternatives.

To make the change from what we have always done to a healthier and less expensive existence takes a leap of faith.

It is human nature to take the easy approach to what we do. Right now it is easier to just plug into the grid because it is already there. We only seem to be motivated to implement an alternative when what we have is taken away from us. Forward thinking people see that we will someday be without fossil fuels, someday our ability to create electricity from water will have diminished due to the increasing demand of an ever increasing population.

We are a part of this ecological system, we do not have to be a slave to it.

The state of California and Texas have incorporated wind energy into their energy programs. Other states such as Massachusetts have been stymied by Senators like Ted Kennedy, who claims wind turbines are great but are unsightly and a threat to birds. This idiotic statement illustrates our greatest problem with moving forward with alternative energy. We need to get people like this and others who are in big oils pockets, out of congress and replace them with people of foresight, people who place the threat against our soldiers lives and the environment above the threat to a few birds.

Replacing ‘old school’ politicians is only part of it. Consumers need to do their part by demanding the market supply alternative energy appliances.

Companies are developing small residential wind turbines and cheap portable solar panels.

Akeena Solar signs manufacturing partnership with Kyocera

Stormblade: the first truly quiet residential wind turbine

Residential solar kits are available

Governments are beginning to respond as well.

South Australia, through new solar feed-in laws, will pay householders and small energy consumers using solar panels twice the value of electricity they put into the electricity grid.

Arizona lawmakers are pushing legislation to create tax breaks for solar energy providers and to attract solar energy use for homeowners.

Maybe my dream for alternative energy isn’t very far off after all.