Algae: Theory Post

The division in opinion between those who believe in the immediate need for alternative energy and those that think we should continue to rely on fossil fuels is coming to a climax now.  It seems that no matter what resolutions are made, what legislation is passed, or what environmental issues we encounter, people will have differing opinions regarding alternative energy. I believe that, until we have no other choice than to discontinue our reliance on oil because of outages or extreme costs, there will be a huge division of opinion. In years past, when we have had gas and oil shortages that have caused fuel costs to grow exponentially, people have generally agreed that alternatives are a necessity. The problem with this, though, is that these opinions do not generally last and when fuel costs fall again, people generally revert to having the desire to rely on oil.

Furthermore, within the realm of alternative energies, people are torn as to which is the most reasonable and cost effective. According to Energy Tribune, although alternatives are being “sold” to the general public, they still aren’t buying into them. We are so reliant on fossil fuels and alternative energy costs are so uncompetitive right now that we just are not seeing a huge deal of progress. But, alternative fuels must prove that they are worthy both logistically and economically. With government intervention (like the creation of alternative biofuel usage legislation), they certainly will have the chance to show off their potential, if they turn out to have any. When they show how effective they will be, we can all form more a more cohesive opinion, whether it is for or against the usage of alternatives.