Alternative energy sources have been used throughout history to replace harmful energy sources. In the Middle Ages, coal was used as an alternative to wood, and in the 1800s, petroleum replaced whale oil. In the 1900s, ethanol oil was proposed as an alternative to coal and oil. In recent years, biomass sources and low-carbon alternatives have been introduced. Transportation energy alternatives have been researched, including ethanol fuels, electric and hybrid vehicles, and fuel cells. The term “alternative energy” has sparked controversy, with some arguing to include fossil fuels and nuclear power, while others exclude them due to their high carbon dioxide emissions.
Alternative energy is the name given to any type of energy used to replace a different energy source, often due to the negative consequences of its use. The types of alternative sources of energy throughout history have included coal, petroleum and alcohol. In the 21st century, these alternative sources have included bioenergy and biofuels such as palm oil, ethanol and other low-carbon alternatives.
In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance from 1200 to 1500, coal was used as the first source of alternative energy. As forests began to disappear due to the significant need for wood in any ever-modernizing world, charcoal was introduced as an alternative. Three hundred years later, in the early 1800s, petroleum was used to replace the depleted source of whale oil for fuel lamps.
In the early 1900s, concern over the increasing use of coal and oil around the world led some to seek alternative energy sources for these precious fuels. Inventor Alexander Graham Bell first proposed the use of corn-based ethanol oil in 1917. These reusable energy sources came into use in the 1950s and 1960s, particularly in the United States and Brazil . In 2008, these were the top two consumers of ethanol oil in the world. Brazil, in 2008, had over 35,000 stations offering ethanol fuel in addition to gasoline.
In the 2000s, several biomass sources were introduced as another alternative to harmful fossil fuels, composed of recently deceased organic matter. Other recent sources have included zero-carbon alternatives with low methane emissions, such as hydrogen and nuclear power.
Transportation Energy Alternatives has been one of the most researched venues for alternative energy in the United States and around the world. As gas prices rise, many options are emerging as substitutes for gasoline, including the previously mentioned ethanol fuels. Other sources have included electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as fuel cells and flywheels.
In recent history, the use of the term alternative energy has sparked controversy among some energy suppliers and producers. A term that allows for government incentives, some have campaigned to include fossil fuels and nuclear power as alternative energy sources. Others have argued, however, that the negative consequences of these sources – their high carbon dioxide emissions – exclude them from the category. In the eyes of many, alternative energy sources are meant to combat negative energy problems and these create more by contributing to global warming.
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