A Choice to End Human Dependence on Oil - 2313 Words

Are alternative energy sources the answer to ending human dependence on oil? I. Introduction There has been much controversy in recent years with regard to the human dependence on oil and benefits associated with alternative energy sources. Society has generally accepted the fact that most energy sources used in the present are undesirable because of the impact they have on the environment, because they are limited, and because they have a negative effect on society as a whole. Technology has brought on a series of alternative means of generating energy and emphasized the fact that humanity actually has a choice about the energy sources that it uses, thus providing people with the opportunity to get actively involved in assisting both themselves and society as a whole. II. History In order to gain a more complex understanding of alternative energy sources, one would first need to comprehend the meaning of alternative energy. Virtually any new type of energy discovered by humans made the respective concept alternative to earlier energy sources. Coal was an important alternative energy source during the Middle Ages as people performed massive deforestations and had little to no wood left. Petroleum also represented an alternative energy source during the early nineteenth century as it came to replace whale oil (History of Alternative Energy). Both coal and petroleum made it possible for humanity to avoid leaving the planet without forests and whales. However, asShow MoreRelatedThe Immortal Words Of Sheikh Zaki Yamani, A Saudi Oil Minister1564 Words   |  7 Pagesimmortal words of Sheikh Zaki Yamani, a Saudi oil minister, â€Å"the Stone Age did not end for the lack of stone but the oil age will surely end long before the world runs out of oil† (The end of the Oil Age). A strong prediction from 3 decades, coming from such a source can hardly be a case of wishful thinking. 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