What is Alternative Energy?
Alternative energy is the name given to any type of energy used to replace a different source of energy, often because of the negative consequences of its use. Types of alternative energy throughout history have included coal, petroleum and alcohol. In the 21st century, these alternative sources have included bioenergy and biofuels such as palm oil, ethanol, and other low carbon alternatives. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance period from the 1200s to the 1500s, coal was used as the first source of alternative energy. When forests began to disappear due to the significant need for wood in any ever-modernizing world, coal was introduced as an alternative. Three hundred years later, in the early 1800s, petroleum was used to replace the depleted source of whale oil for fuel lamps. In the early 1900s, the concern over the quickening use of coal and oil around the world led some to seek alternative energy sources for these precious fuels. Inventor Alexander Graham Bell first proposed using
Global energy demand is growing. And the scientific evidence of climate change is mounting. Spurred by these worrisome trends, along with government “green” initiatives worldwide, alternative energy has emerged as one of the fastest-growing markets in the past few years. Alternative Energy generally includes renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biofuel, hydrogen and biomass. Also included in the Alternative Energy category are the technologies that make renewable energy sources practicable, as well as services and technologies that promote the conservation or more efficient use of conventional energy sources.
