The Process For Transitioning To Renewable Energy

In the previous blog A Call For The Transition To Renewable Energy it was discussed that industrialized nations of the world will soon have to address that a world energy crisis driven by demand from developing countries is looming within the next 25 years. Fossil fuels alone will not be able to meet demand easier to extract surface sources rapidly become exhausted requiring more difficult and environmentally damaging drilling and mining procedures that are both more time intensive and expensive. The increased costs and potential shortages will create more geopolitical stresses between countries as they scramble to meet their energy demands. It is past time to seriously implement existing renewable energy sources (biofuels, solar thermal, photovoltaics, wind, geothermal, tidal, and biomass) to supplement fossil fuels over the next 25 years while actively searching for long term, highly efficient energy systems to transition into beyond 2035. The transition to increase renewable energy sources process should start in the liquid fuel sectors that utilize petroleum predominately for transportation (gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel). Increasing the additive rates of ethanol in gasoline up to E30 and providing government subsidies for fuel line conversions. Diesel can be supplemented with bio-diesel creating blends up to B30 and governments should provide the same subsides for fuel line conversions. Bio diesel can be produced from bio-algae, jatropha, and halophytes and even use of microbial organisms to increase the bio-diesel’s processing efficiencies. The other half of the fossil fuel equation is electricity production which is provided by coal and natural gas. Electricity consumption actually requires more fossil fuels than transportation needs. The transition here over the next 25 years should be over to solar thermal / photovoltaic, wind, tidal, geothermal, and biomass facilities.