- Image by Wonderlane via Flickr
What do you think of when you hear the world “alternative energy? Do you think of wind power or energy efficient light bulbs or do you think of something completely different? The fact is the term alternative energy is just something that means any source of reusable energy that replaces fuel sources without the undesired consequences of replaced fuels. Alternative itself means in a way undesirable. So alternative fuel is the fuel we would rather not use as our first choice. Alternative energy is produced without hurting the environment. Fossil fuels have an undesired consequence because of their high carbon dioxide emissions.
Alternative energy has been happening for as long as man has been around so it’s no surprise that it keeps evolving. At one time wood was used to burn everything but they realized they would go through there supply very quickly if they weren’t careful when someone picked up the idea of using coal as a way to substitute the wood. Then of course for years they used to lubricate fuel for lamps by using whale oil but then it was realized that the whales were dying off and what whale oil they did have left was getting so high in price they knew a change was coming so they decided to start using petroleum.
Of course more changes were apparent. Fossil fuels were being used like coal and oil and Alexander Graham Bell made the smart choice to use ethanol that was devired from corn and other food. The problem he ran into was the same everyone ran into. It wasn’t easy to replicate the otherdox energy sources. Brazil has been using the ethanol fuel program. They use ethanol and sugar cane and the can waste is used to process head and power. Most of the filling stations in the country of Brazil have an ethanol pump or two. The is no way to be sure that we will use the alternative energy we have now but it’s something that most businesses and homes are considering.