Are We Running Out Of Energy?
Man, that is a VERY good question. I don’t know. Let me look outside and see if the sun is still shining.
Okay, all kidding aside, the world is in a mess as far as energy goes. The oil reserves are slowly dwindling down to nothing and we’re all afraid that the next nuclear power plant is going to be our last one. The prospects for the future are not very bright.
But just how bad is it?
Well, let’s take a look at some stats. In 1999, which was back in the days when we weren’t as bad off as we are now, the US consumed 95 quadrillion BTUs of energy. If that doesn’t sound too bad, they only produced 61 quadrillion BTUs. If you need me to do the math for you, that’s a 34 quadrillion BTU energy deficit. Now, I’m no scientist but my gut tells me that this isn’t good. Call it a hunch.
So the big problem is simple. We consume more energy than we produce, which means that we have to rely on other countries to keep our lights on and our microwave ovens running. I don’t know about you, but that thought doesn’t make me all warm and fuzzy inside.
According to a United States Geological survey, we have about an 80 year supply of oil and gas before it is all gone. While this may not have much of an impact on my date with eternity, there are going to be a great number of very cold and hungry people when that day comes.
Now, the big question everybody asks is, “Why don’t we just drill for more oil right here in the United States?” Well, if you ask one group of people, namely the environmentalists, they’ll say that it will basically screw up the ecology, to put it in less than scientific terms. I don’t know how true that may or may not be, but I’m not ready to take that chance.
That’s why we need renewable energy sources, and trust me, we have them. We have them big time, from solar to wind to you name it. And the wonderful part is, you don’t have to rely on your government to do this for you. A Solar Power Home is one option. You can put together these alternative sources yourself in a snap. I’m serious.
This isn’t hard stuff. If you’d like more info on this very critical subject, there are a number of online resources for harnessing the power of alternative sources of energy. Read my Review of DIY Power System for details.