If there are alternative fuels to fossil fuels why do we still use fossil fuels?

Question

when they are killing our planet?

Answer 1

-All Homes Should have Solar Panels
-Homes with some wind, should have wind turbine installed
-cities, nations near oceans, should build wave generating power plants

Do this and we will be cutting a lot of dependence in oil generating terrorist nations

Answer 2

Alternative fuels have always existed. However, the idea of a universal switch to alternative fuel from traditional fossil fuel is a relatively new idea. Like any new idea it takes time for it to be accepted and even more time to to put it into practice. I do not think there is enough demand on our governments, the large petroleum companies and the automobile manufacturers to make a wholesale switches to alternative fuel. Do not forget that these bodies are addicted to the petroleum industry. Think of all the businesses and companies you know that are tied either directly or indirectly to fossil fuels. Think of all the gas bars, auto garages, car manufacturers and retailers, auto parts retailers, small engine manufacturers, dealers and repair shops etc. I could go on and on. Our governments are also dependent on fossil fuels when you think of all the revenues they get through taxes, duties etc.

It's like moving a boulder with a toothpick.

I am not trying to be negative about this and I believe we do need to switch to alternative fuel sources as it is in the best interest of the human species and our rapidly disappearing natural environment. I am merely giving my slant on the problem and I do not think it is unsurmountable. We need to continue to make our voices heard and practice what we preach.

Answer 3

There is many alternatives to fossil fuels. The one I see standing out for auto at least is electricity produced thru green means like wind power, geothermal, or power from the sun. Most likely a combination of many sources will be needed to ween us off of fossil fuels.

Answer 4

1. We have not yet built an infrastructure to supply alternative fuels

2. Other than nuclear fossil fuels are the densest form of energy. An alternative must be developed that doesn't require people to haul around a trailer for a gas tank.

3. $$$ The Human Value System, whether you choose religion or economics, is dysfunctional. Money is only a measure of human labour; we do not give life the inherent value it deserves. Therefore it isn't worth more money if all it does is save the world. To have value it has to save people.

Answer 5

Many people would say that it is because of greed of the oil companies. Others would say that 95% of the nation's cars run on fossil fuel and the country simply does not have enough money to buy new cars. There will come a day when the transition will be made -- they just recently started selling E85 at many gas stations in major metropolitan areas. Just think of how long it took for VHS to go bye bye when DVD's came in... Some people still use VHS tapes to watch movies but a good majority of people use DVD's. In the future it will be so with cars; the majority will drive non fossil fuel vehicles, and some stragglers will still rely on fossil fuel... But until the world stops relying on it, it will still be a cash cow for the governments of many countries and wars will still continue because of them.

Answer 6

There are many reasons we aren't using alternative fuels - most of them have to do with flaws in our society. Rather than embrace something new, we have become a people of habit and entitlement. We aren't the same rugged, individualistic citizens who left Europe so many years ago.


I plan to purchase an electric car as soon as I can afford one. I plan on putting solar panels up as soon as I can afford to. I only have 4 incandescent bulbs left to replace with compact flourescents. (done over 45 so far). Here's some hurdles most of us have to jump:

The grid. It's evil. Needs to be unplugged, and all buildings need to have their own power source wherever possible. This keeps large, obsolete power sources from being needed. Eventually, even nuclear power would be obsolete - except in areas with little sun or wind. Large companies and groups of people hate this thought - they are the zombies that keep thinking that the "big three" automakers and AT&T are good companies.

We have lots of laws stopping us from pulling the plug - the EPA keeps us from converting our cars to E-85 (should be E-100), because laws were written without regard to which fuel was going to be used. (some alternative fuels pollute more than gas). E-85 compatible small engines for lawn mowers and yard tools aren't available.

I'd love to put up a wind turbine, but most residential areas (80% nationwide) don't allow outstructures.

There are many others - but the commonality is that they remove our ability to adapt to what happens in the world - it's an extension of what happens when big entities control things. Government and businesses are the same kind of thing with power that way.

The solution is that individuals need to make better choices. That's the only way to actually change everything.

Answer 7

Fossil Fuels are much cheaper to convert into electricity and there somewhat reliable (even though they WILL RUN OUT) Solar energy requires the sun, tidal energy requires the waves, wind energy needs wind. But fossil fuels are always there (NOT FOR LONG... REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE.)

Answer 8

You see, the oil companies, automotive companies, and the U.S. government have invested to deeply into fossil fuels and they rather make money now and rush to save the planet later, rather than secure there business, our political system, and stabilizing our environment now (if they only would make the commitment and switch to renewable resources now).

And don't listen to all of those people who say that it's not economically viable, because it is. If we switched to alternative resources then within three years energy companies, automotive companies, and the government would turn a massive profit. How, because yes you would have to spend money building the infrastructure, the cost of shipping, creating, and maintaining this infrastructure would all be greatly reduced, compared to our current system of attaining and supplying energy.

Answer 9

In terms of transportation there aren't really. There are biofuels, but there isn't enough agricultural land on the planet to supply enough fuel for our transportation needs. The other problem is that the more agricultural land is used for biofuels, the less is available for food crops. This also raises the price of food.

Other than biofuels, there is electric. However, electric still runs partially on fossil fuels (though much less than gasoline cars), but there aren't quite any good electric vehicles available. However, this will change in the next year or two.

Answer 10

Because all the alternatives together can't supply the amount of energy demanded by all the industrialized nations of the world. In other words, the alternatives aren't adequate. They're a start, but not enough.

Answer 11

3 reasons: The price, the price and the price !!!!

Even if the difference would be less than 20%, the polluting solution would be preferred to the clean one. It is a market which is competitive and has rational actors. Without intervention of new policies, it drives under a scenario called "business as usual" which translates into: " we use coal, it is the cheapest"