Energy Crisis

The world is on the verge of an energy crisis. Humans have depended on petroleum as a key resource and source of energy for over a century but now that resource is becoming limited. The United States is the biggest contributor to the use of petroleum and so is the most at risk from this crisis. The United States is also one of the leading countries in alternative and renewable energy research. Physicist John Holdren, director of the US Office of Science and Technology Policy, stated in an interview that “industrialised nations have an obligation to lead – or we’re all going to be cooked” (Holdren, 2009). Many alternatives to petroleum are already in use, including: solar power, wind power, and nuclear power. These alternatives are used by power companies to power the grid, but there is very little use of these alternatives in the private sector. It is very difficult to convince people that there actually is an energy shortage and this will be one of the main hurdles. In the United States, consumers use nearly fifty percent of the overall energy consumed by powering their homes and driving their vehicles. This means that the average American has a huge impact on the overall amount of energy used. Transportation is the main contributor to the consumption of petroleum and there have been very few improvements in this area.

According to the Bureau for Transportation Statistics there were over 254 million registered vehicles on the roads in the United States in 2007 (Bts.gov,2009). This number went up by three to four million units each year, so it would be safe to say that there are currently at least 260 million vehicles on the roads. The vast majority of these vehicles use gasoline or diesel, both petroleum products. There have been improvements in the efficiency of American vehicles, but not enough to have a large impact. Automobiles have better fuel consumption than ever in history and hybrid vehicles are becoming somewhat popular to a niche group. Neither of these improvements eliminates the consumption of petroleum and only has a small impact on the amount used. Electric vehicles are another good alternative as they mean the vehicle consumes no petroleum. Power companies use petroleum as their main source of power for the grid, so plugging electric vehicles into the grid does mean an increase in petroleum use. Mass transit is another good alternative, but again only lowers the problem a small bit. All mass transit runs off either petroleum or electricity. As of yet, there has been no permanent solution to this problem.

Until a permanent solution has been found, Americans should be encouraged to use the alternatives available. The use of mass transit and carpooling is probably the best option currently available. Mass transit is not available in all areas though and often not convenient for people where it is available. People should encourage their local governments to build and provide more forms of mass transit. They should also encourage their employers to offer telecommuting when they could perform their duties from home. Hybrid vehicles are more expensive than their normally aspirated alternatives, but this expense could be offset by tax incentives or rebates. There are also companies that will install solar panels on the roofs of residential housing. Solar power is a good source of energy because it is considered a renewable energy source. Consumers would save money on their power bills each month, but the initial expense is costly and not feasible for most Americans. This again could be offset by tax incentives or rebates. Any alternative that lowers the amount of petroleum consumed is a good alternative, although not perfect.

Sustainability Plan
Solar and wind energy are the best alternative we currently have to petroleum energy. Both are completely renewable energy sources as they are only limited by the amount of sunlight and wind available. They are also both clean energy sources because neither produces any pollutants as a byproduct. We currently have the resources and technology to install solar panels on residential and commercial buildings. We are also in the process of developing wind power generation for residential use.

Resources
Holdren, J., & Lawton, G. (2009). America turns red, white and green. New Scientist Archive, 203(2719), 26-27. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com
ASHRAE. (2009). GE to Offer Zero Energy Homes. ASHRAE Journal, 51(8), 9. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com

BTS.gov Bureau of Transportation Statistics (2009)
http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_01_11.html