The Problem Of Energy Production - 1870 Words

In today’s society, it’s nearly impossible to open a newspaper, fire up a computer, or hold a conversation that isn’t someway related to energy. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution over a century and a half ago, nothing has been more pivotal to mankind’s rise to power as the apex species of planet earth. Had our ancestors not discovered the potential of using million year old plant and animal remains to create combustible power, the world would look very different. There is no denying that energy production is one of, if not, the most important developments in human history. After a hundred and fifty years of recklessly burning oil and coal, we find ourselves having to deal with the literal mess unforeseen by our industrious†¦show more content†¦There are dozens, if not hundreds of oil and coal alternatives that are being considered, however, while many options look promising in theory the overwhelming majority of them such as: wind, solar, and biofuel just aren’t economically feasible on a global scale. Nuclear power is growing in popularity around the world for its extreme potency and zero emissions, but advancements in the field are few and far between due to the bad stigma that surrounds nuclear power. This negative stigma stems from its military roots and its potential for catastrophic disaster, which has become very real in the wake of Japan’s recent natural disasters. The answer to kicking our oil habit may actually be much simpler than any of these other alternatives. The key to securing our energy independence may have been under our feet the entire time we were bending to the oil cartel’s (OPEC’s) every demand. Here in America we have been sitting atop a goldmine of natural gas wells that rank among the most abundant in the world. While natural gas is by no means a renewable source of energy, reserves are much more plentiful in America than oil. Natural gas also burns much cleaner than coal making it friendlier to our heavily burdened atmosphere. Current estimates put our nation’s natural gas supply somewhere around â€Å"twenty five hundred trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable natural gas from all sources† (Deutch, 2011). Approximately six hundred to seven hundred cubic feet lies