English Class Essay Outline

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“What are the viable alternatives of fossil fuels?” I. Title: Alternative Fuels: The Necessary Step II. Introduction A. We have relied on fossil fuels such as oil and coal for hundreds of years. These natural recourses are finite and create air-damaging fumes when burned. Scientists and archeologists estimate that we are on the path to depleting the world’s fossil fuel reserves, which could lead to an economic meltdown. B. Thesis Statement: If we continue to rely only on fossil fuels to generate electricity, and power our vehicles, we will undoubtedly consume the world reserve of these limited forms of energy. Hydrogen, solar and wind power can be alternatives to fossil fuels. III. Necessary Background A. Fossil fuels have created a negative environmental impact through their burning process. And the supply of these fuels is diminishing, and this has helped spur interest in alternatives. Currently, renewable energy only accounts for 9% of US domestic energy production. Hydropower accounts for about 5%. There is currently a higher cost to benefit ratio for using renewable energy, and fossil fuels are still relatively cheap to use (Renewable Energy Sources). B. Fossil fuels are finite recourses. Finite means having definable limits. We know oil and coal are finite and will eventually be consumed. Alternative

Marr ii energy is usually renewable energy, which means this energy can be replaced by ecological cycles. C. We have been looking at this issue more closely because of the increasing gas prices to fuel our cars and heat our homes. In a recent study, 55% surveyed said they would consider an alternate fuel vehicle as their next car purchase (PR Newswire). IV. Subtopic #1 A. Companies and individuals are considering different, more efficient forms of fuel for cars and for the production of electricity. This is due in part because of greater conservation awareness and fears that gas prices may become too high. There are many viable alternative fuels being considered. B. Private civilians and companies of the United States have considered Hydrogen for a long time as a powerful and abundant fuel to power everything from cars to power plants. “Hydrogen is the 3rd most abundant element on Earth” (World Almanac). Solar energy is also considered as a productive form of generating electricity without the emissions and chance of the source being depleted. C. Hydrogen-Fuel Cell vehicles would have to be built with a high pressure storage cylinder or a method of producing its own hydrogen fuel to run on. Fuel cells remain a suitable solution to rising gas prices (PR Newswire). At the 2007 International Auto Show in Seattle, a Hydrogen-Gas vehicle was demonstrated to journalists. The vehicle was a converted Ford Ranger truck that can run on either Hydrogen or Gasoline. What makes the truck unique,

Marr iii though, was its ability to produce hydrogen on demand. The patented method of hydrogen fuel production in the truck was developed by Hydrogen Power Inc. and it “involves a chemical reaction between water, aluminum, and an environmentally friendly catalyst to cleanly and efficiently produce hydrogen on site and on demand” (Hydrogen Power). Some companies and countries are realizing the benefits of having hydrogen as a main fuel source. Drew Winter for Ward’s Auto World says that “[Iceland] is the first country in the world to commit to developing a hydrogen-based economy” (Winter). D. Using renewable recourses such as Hydrogen is efficient, safe, and a logical alternative that can substitute our use of oil products and produce the same result. V. Subtopic #2 A. Solar power is already catching on with home and office building owners. Solar electricity is generated by the sun’s light when collected by photovoltaic panels that charge large batteries with electricity. These batteries are connected to the building’s electrical wiring. Solar power is another great alternative to buying electricity from a polluting power plant, because they are not expensive to set up, and maintenance costs are minimal. Solar power may be the fastest growing alternative to home electricity. B. In California, solar power output “has grown from about 3 megawatts in 2000 to 177 megawatts this year, a remarkable 5,900% increase” (St. John). State’s around the US, realize the environmental benefits to solar

Marr iv electricity, and have organized initiatives to provide rebates to business and homeowners who install solar power systems on their property. C. Instead of using individual solar panels to generate electricity, another proposed method would be to have large mirrors direct sunlight to boil water, thus generating steam to run turbines. The Department of Energy states that homes that use a scaled down version of these solar heating designs “can save as much as 50% on heating bills” (Renewable Energy Sources). VI. Subtopic #3 A. Wind energy can be a great alternative to outside electricity in rural communities or in farmland. Wind power works by using large towermounted propellers that are spun by natural winds. The large propellers are connected to generators at the base of these wind towers that generate electricity from the spinning propellers. These windmills are usually placed in large clusters, called wind farms, to maximize energy production either for a large farm or medium sized town. B. Wind is an energy source that will never be depleted, but many windmills are needed to equal the electricity production of a small power plant. Brian Sweany says that states, such as Texas, have adopted the Renewable Portfolio Standard that calls for Texas to increase alternative energy production to 2,880 megawatts by January 2009- a lot of this power will come from windmills (Sweany).

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C. The implementation of a wind project in Alberta was so successful that “the Alberta Electric System Operator, or AESO, is concerned about there being too much on the electrical grid” (Scotton). VII. Conclusion A. As our energy consumption increases and our fossil fuel reserves decrease, we must look toward different, renewable forms of electricity. Hydrogen can be utilized to fuel our cars, solar power can be used to provide cheaper electricity to homeowners, and wind power can be applied to supply towns and large facilities with very cheap electricity. B. While some of these options are still in development, they provide a cleaner renewable means of energy production, and can be able to replace the use of finite fuels.