[Angrybird 12]

Is alternative energy as we know it today a good Idea?

The politicians and enviromentalists have so many people believing that alternative energy is going to save the planet. But will be doing more harm than good???

Here are my opinions why it may work on a small scale but more study is needed before we go to a large scale change.

1. IF today they came out with a Electric car/hydrogen car/CNG car/Solar car etc that would perform and have the range of a Gasoline engined car it would take aproximately 16 years to replace all the cars in the USA alone.
This is based on that last year there were 250 million cars in the USA, and dividing that by the number of cars sold last year. also assuming that nobody that bought one would buy another one before every car was replaced, and each car traded in would be destroyed and the materials recycled never to be used again.
2. Even If we invented a new Battery and solar cells that would equal the range of a gas powered car, What are other natural resources that would probably be used in their manufacture. also what polution would the disposal of these batteries with their exotic materials cause?
3. How many people will be electrocuted or burned to death by one of these new Electric Cars? With high currents and voltages in the cars, they would have to be able to withstand an high speed accident without causing a short circuit that may electrocute passengers, safety workers, or even cause a fire
4. Hydrogen power.. now they say Hydrogen is the most abundent naturally occuring fuel we have. This is true, but what if we start extracting it from our oceans and atmosphere at such a great rate needed to fuel our economy. What kind of environmental impact will that cause? They say burning Hydrogen only expells Water vapor from the tailpipe, introduction of that much water vapor into the atmosphere from millions of cars could effect our weather!!!
5. Wind Power, They are saying we could put millions of wind turbines out in the midwest to make electricity. But if we did could all those large spinning blades going through the air possibly change the airflow patterns and change the weather patterns across the country? And what would happen when a tornado came through and ripped out many of them, would oure electric rates jump just as they do now when a hurricane threatens the oil production in the gulf?

These are just a few of the questions I have, I have not ever seen anyone asking things like this, I have many more questions that concern me.

There will not be any quick fix for our problem, but we do need to produce more of every form of energy we have available to us now and push forward the development of new energy technologies, but not until we know what problems our kids and grandkids may be facing because of any quick rash changes we make today.

Feel free to post any questions that concern you about alternative energy.