I have noticed that there has been a greater amount of activity towards the development of wind and solar energy. Wind and solar energy have been abundance all over the world since the beginning of time and I am yet to understand as to why it has taken so long for the world to fully realise that these energy sources which are cheaper than oil could possibly be a possible replacement for oil as the major energy sources. The uncertainties associated with the price of oil seems to be causing the world to seriously consider these alternatives.
I don't think that they will in our lifetime because so many people still rely on oil for their cars and just to run their days. If we had more appliances and technology that used these power sources then yes. It is possible for the future and for our grandchildren, just not for us. It will get there, but it just takes time and then they will be looking back and laughing at us.
I would disagree with you Steph. I think it is entirely possible to change to wind and solar power to fuel our needs. However, i would agree that it will take a lot of time, concerted effort and political agreement. Additionally, the oil and coal industries are heavily entrenched with lobbyists in DC, so any change for the US would require a bold leader who is unafraid to embrace change. But if that's possible, the technology is largely there! There are already highly efficient solar panels available. Wind farms are being built along the European coastline. There's already a huge wind farm in CA. We just need the increase the infrastructure and support the wind & solar industry through tax incentives and regulatory reform.
Solar and wind energy should replace oil for it's safer too. I like solar power and wind energy power for all our electrical use, but I don't think they perfected collecting and storing the energy for use all the time. Locally we have a housing area that uses only solar power. When we had over a week of cloudy weather the people went without hot water, so it's still a challenge locally to have solar as an all the time power source for days of no Sun makes life miserable. Until all the kinks have been ironed out we should have all three alternatives, for I'd hate to be without hot water or electricity-our stove is electric.
I know that I really hope that the answer is yes. I think that we definitely have the potential and the know-how when it comes to pretty much every aspect of it, but when it comes to political will and ability to implement change at the policy level, then we really have the issues. I can see it making slow progress, but nothing really substantial in the near future. I hope I am wrong though.
Initially I thought solar owner would become more mainstream a lot easier and quicker but apparently it doesn't seem likely as I have always thought it would be more common or available for mass consumption by now but sadly at this point it is still very expensive and from what I have heard still not as efficient as it should be. Hopefully in our lifetime we can see these become more available to the masses but it seems like it needs just as much time to develop as the main source of energy we are currently using.
Its possible but not in the near future. It would require a major paradigm shift in terms of government and private sector thinking as well as adoption by consumers. It will require creation of new product lines or modification of current gadgets to fit electric power terminals. There is also nuclear energy which seems to have the upper hand when compared to solar and wind power especially for large industrial projects. Some people view both forms of energy as marginally reliable.
I strongly believe that fossil fuel will be replaced by renewal energy, in other words oil will be replaced by solar, wind and water power. In our country government is promoting solar power. In the hinterland, the government is giving solar panels and battery in subsidized rates. Installation is expensive, however, in the long run solar energy will turn one of the cheapest energy source. You get free electricity for many years and you will incur almost zero maintenance cost.
