Renewable Energy Today

Experts on “green” alternative energy say that the shift from the current petroleum-powered society will not be an entirely easy one. The amount of expertise and infrastructures needed to push that shift looks mind-boggling, although Germany has already shown its capacity to generate at least 10 per cent of its total energy needs from wind turbines and solar clusters.

Also there has also been a noticeable rise in the number of companies engaged in power generation that supports the alternative energy goals, moved apparently by rebate incentives and tax amnesties offered by governments involved. The expansive lag we need to close indicates how complacent we have been for a long time on the alternative energy mission. Thus it has not been entirely surprising that we find ourselves today cramming to recover opportunities offered by alternative energy sources.

Alternative energy experts further suggest that there is a need for a coordinated global effort to lessen our almost total reliance on petroleum. This traditional energy source, being largely non-renewable, is bound to become more costly to produce and therefore more expensive to consumers. It is also one of the biggest causes of environmental pollution. Moreover, continued oil exploration by its nature is an ecosystem hazard.

The consensus among experts is that there is enough stockpile for us to enjoy up to 30 years of relatively inexpensive gas and oil. They say that in 20 years after that period countries who remain dependent on that energy source by more than 10 percent of their need would be courting disaster. And yet there is little indication that countries are proceeding in that direction. On the contrary, total demand for oil has been increasing since the 1970s.

Resistance to the shift from traditional to alternative energy sources comes mostly from vested business interests. The oil industry is a huge global business empire. Alternative energy sources can threaten the profitability of this industry and its stakeholders cannot just sit and watch the source of their wealth dissipate into thin air. The logical route therefore, is to promote the profitability in the market of alternative energy sources, something which at present is wanting.

Consultants advice that this needs inter-government or multi-lateral support, considering among other things the huge start-up investments and research which such a transition would entail. Moreover, they also concede that even if such international collaboration achieves its immediate objectives, we still need a long time horizon within which an alternative energy regime can be established.

It is important for the well-off countries like Japan, the US, Western Europe and others to lead the effort of minimizing global dependence on oil. Elsewhere it can be tough but poorer countries can never be expected to lift themselves from the looming oil crisis, although they may console themselves with the fact that they can generate power from coal and whatever oil reserves they have. In any event, peoples around the world will have few choices except to wean themselves from imported fuel and develop their capability to generated power from alternative sources. The switch from black oil to alternative green is inevitable, and the time to do it is now.