William Webb

Ms. Ingram
UWRIT 1103
Draft 1

Is it possible that soon the use of fossil fuels could be eliminated completely? That
question has eluded many engineers and scientists for a long time. While alternatives have been
found, none of them have been able to match the efficiency and cost of fuels like oil and
gasoline. Many countries have begun finding other ways to produce energy such as wind farms,
nuclear power, and solar panels. These methods are proving to be effective, though no country
has been able to cross fossil fuels off of its list of energy production. This wouldnt pose much
of a threat if consumption of fuel wasnt so harmful to the earth. As unacceptable as pollution is;
its arguably not the worst side effect of fossil fuels. The real danger comes from the fact that
someday they will eventually run out. When that happens, we should be ready.
The most common alternative to coal and gas is the power of the wind. Turbines
constructed to harness this energy have proved to be extremely efficient and practical in terms of
cost. China even managed to increase its wind farm numbers by seventy three percent in a single
year. The country now constitutes 31 percent of the entire worlds wind farm numbers. If other
countries would follow the example set by the Chinese, we could do away with oil within a
decade. America in particular draws only eighteen percent of all its energy from the wind,
making it the lowest in the world for production of clean energy. The U.S. is the richest country

in the world. If it could convert to clean energy, massive strides would be made towards a
healthier and more efficient world.
Another common alternative to natural gases are solar panels. While they are not
necessarily cheap; they are renewable. They also require very little maintenance in order to
function. Once built they can last for years, providing clean, efficient energy while reliant only
on the sun to function. Solar energy can substantially lower the cost of electricity in a given area,
so even though paneling is expensive to build; it balances out in the long run due to the
decreased price in electricity. All that is required to build them is space and materials. From then
on, access to energy would be available as long as the sun continues to burn. Which would be
roughly another six billion years.
Renewable energy may not be utilized to its full potential for the next few decades, but
someday natural gases will dissipate. It will then be up to humanity to find its own sources of
energy. Cars, planes, and ships will all be left at a standstill without some means of power.
Transportation in general will slow to a halt without energy. A majority of the people in the world
would not even know how to survive without electricity. Energy is requried by almost every
aspect of the world at this point. Its important to sever the reliance on natural fuel while we
dont need it. In this way we can transition to cleaner, more efficient means of energy without a
break in the medium causing panic.

Works Cited
"Quiz: What You Don't Know About Wind Energy." National Geographic. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2015.
"Alternatives to Fossil Fuels | Science Articles | PlanetSEED." Alternatives to
Fossil Fuels | Science Articles | PlanetSEED. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2015.