Issue Briefs
Alternative Energy & Energy Security
Oil is the World's most essential source of energy; economic prosperity depends on it more than any other form of energy. In the US oil provides 40% of total energy consumption and 98% of transportation fuel. When we discuss Alternative Energy in its broadest sense, we mean alternatives to oil.
The world now uses 6 barrels of oil for every 1 barrel discovered. Oil discovery peaked in the 1960s and Peak Oil production may have already occurred. After peaking, oil enters a permanent decline in production leaving oil shortages, economic decline, and social chaos in its wake, unless current energy policies change. The world economy can not provide prosperity without abundant, conventional oil or a replacement for it. Nothing less than long term energy security is at stake. Read more...Solar Energy
What the Heck Should We Do with It?Much has been said about direct Solar Energy and its offspring in winds, waves, falling water and biomass that distributes its energy in readily available forms to most regions of the world. However, little focus has been placed on how Solar Energy can best meet the needs of prosperity, humanity, the environment and energy security.
The short term answer is simple: Today Solar Energy can best serve humankind by replacing the gasoline and diesel fuel that powers the internal combustion engines now in operation worldwide; all 800 million of them, as quickly as possible. These engines are the largest users and wasters of oil and they spew out health hampering pollutants and earth damaging global warming gasses by the megaton. Their emissions make people and our planet sick----sometimes fatally. It's time to change that and opt for real, clean, energy security. Read more...Renewable Hydrogen Fuel
Hydrogen fuel burns clean emitting only water and it can be made from virtually all renewable energy resources without significant pollution. New technology allows renewable hydrogen fuel to be mixed with traditional fuels to create Hy-Boost Fuels, mixtures that lower pollution, improve engine efficiency and provide conservation of significant volumes of oil. They also facilitate replacement of oil without major infrastructure changes and enhance energy security and independence.
Renewable hydrogen combines the abundant energy of most all renewable energy resources into one clean burning fuel that can readily access major oil and energy markets allowing renewable, clean fuel competition to oil and OPEC. This is especially important in cities where overcoming pollution is so critical. Read more...