Heated Conversation!!

Energy is not cheap at all because we have not made it so. We have become fully dependent on oil and therefore dug ourselves a hole where either we keep paying rising energy prices or find alternate sources of energy. Conservation is key in the energy crisis. If Jimmy Carter were here I would tell him he is the Nostradamus of energy, because he knew we had to conserve our energy and he made it clear through his efforts to encourage the American people to do so.We must find a source of energy that can be conserved for the next generations if not for the rest of our life. A source that will not run out in just a few years and that has costs that are not constantly on a rise. I am a strong believer in having a government but one that also believes that we cannot leave things up to them in order to initiate change. We must invest in private marketeers to innovate new ideas that can be used as renewable sources of energy. Investing in such people and becoming successful will steer the government to intervene and maintain this success because ultimately it would stimulate money for any economy. We must investigate more than just one energy source. We must have alternatives so we do not just become dependent on one because then we could find ourselves in the place we are now. Therefore we must consider, other fossil fuels, wind, solar, geo, and hydro energy for us to be successful. However, to me the one with the most potential seems to be solar energy. Solar energy has been around for over 3 billion years and we must take advantage of it. Solar energy can be our key in a renewable resource so that we can become independent of oil.

To understand why solar energy is a strong candidate here are some pros and cons.

Pros:

Not much pollution is given off from solar panels except during production of them.

Solar panels are easily installed and can be installed practically anywhere (They are not location specific).

Fossil fuel cost deviate constantly due to market demands but solar energy can avoid that because a constant supply is readily available.

The electricity produced by solar energy is relatively quiet compared to other resources (wind turbines).

Cons:

Installation and production of a solar panel is very costly in the beginning.

Solar energy is only able to be produce during daylight hours and weather can affect production.

Increasing pollution affects efficiency of solar cells. Industries installing solar energy plants in highly polluted areas such as cities can have trouble in being efficient.

The above points are very important in considering solar energy as a powerful alternative.

Individually we can take minor steps today to reduce our energy footprint such as investing in energy saving light bulbs, use of public transportation, and consume locally grown foods. But for the future we can choose to invest in hybrid or electrical cars, grow food and participate in energy saving movements. There is opportunity for everyone to help you just have to look around.