Many Americans are using their ingenuity looking for ways to increase the efficiencies of their current situation
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Craig Smith, Natural Resource Engineering Specialist
“I know that we are still a month and a half away from the Fourth of July, but what the heck I am going to brag about our country anyways!”
I could write a whole dissertation on why the U.S. is the greatest country in the world, but for your sake I won’t cover that very broad topic. I will only focus on the most important factor in my opinion. The thing that I love most about the United States of America is that our country allows and actually encourages independence and freedom. More specifically we are allowed to engage and act upon our own independent and free thoughts (with a few restrictions obviously). As a result, we are the most ingenious and productive society on the face of the earth!
Enough of the deep thoughts, let’s get down to business. With the rising price of fuels, many Americans are using their ingenuity looking for ways to increase the efficiencies of their current situation (i.e. automobiles, businesses, houses, etc.) and/or searching for alternative sources. Over the past few months, I have had more than a couple of questions related to alternative energy sources.
Some of the alternative sources being researched and utilized (for electricity production and/or automobile fuel) are: methane, ethanol, bio-diesel, natural gas, solar, wind, hydrogen, and hybrids. While many of these have great potential, there are two main barriers to their adoption: practicality and economics. Example: There are great reserves of natural gas in this country and it is an extremely clean burning fuel so why isn’t it being used? Answer: Our nation’s infrastructure isn’t set up for it. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen many natural gas filling stations in NW Missouri. Solar powered cars must be the answer then because they don’t need filled up, right? Answer: Well, go check out the price of a new solar car. You could probably sell your house and then maybe buy one.
My point is this: the primitive technology is in place, but it needs refining. The technology has to be refined to the point where the alternative is cost effective relative to conventional method. This is where our American ingenuity comes into play. We can expect that there will be much more research and progress made in the improvement of alternative and sustainable fuels.
Lastly, I am still trying to figure out why we are piling up our trash in landfills instead of burning it for electricity. This would be one of those win-win situations that everyone desires. If someone knows the answer to that let me know. For now, I’ll just blame it on politics!