We are in the midst of an energy crisis. The price of a gallon of gas is sky high and there is a great deal of trouble-brewing in the Middle East, Iraq and Iran and other areas. These problems have made it clear to many United States citizens that we have an oil-driven economy.

As Americans we need to develop new directions for energy supply and the production of it. We certainly need to reduce the dependency on oil and look for alternative resources. Experts believe there is no such thing as cheap oil and they will continue to pay a high price and in the future, it will be much higher. This expense will grow in the future unless we can locate alternative sources of fueling our technologically advanced civilization. We need to find innovative sources that can be alternatives to oil.

Environmentalists would argue that we need to switch to other forms of energy because the present forms are damaging the atmosphere and climate.

There are other issues as well such as global warming, and other means of destructing the environment such as air and water pollution.

Coal is another source of energy that is counter productive. It is filthy and it is very hazardous to mine and is destroys the environment. We can also look towards new methods of producing electricity that we presently use so they have less impact on the environment.

There are nations developing and becoming more industrialized that will also need the of alternative forms of energy research and development. Other countries are also contributing to the environmental damage. The United States, and other European nations have initiated studies to look for alternative energy sources, and could lead the way in doing far less environmental damage than the United States is.

The developing nations need to look to the West who is in the process of getting help from the government and private companies who are researching alternative sources of energy. We could and should be at the forefront of research on alternative energy sources. We could certainly reap the benefits of marketing the technologies and services to other nations.

There are alternatives such as Biofuels from trees and beans, hydroelectric technology and development, natural gas, hydrogen cells, atomic energy plants and the development of solar energy.

More research needs to be done on the use of wind and solar power as well as the use of electricity and hydrogen. There is a great deal of potential out there if we widen our scope and look for alternative means to fuel our cars and maintain our technologically advanced society. Hopefully when we look towards the future it will be green.

Did you know that wind has potential for power? It does not damage the environment plus its a powerful source of alternative energy. It is gaining popularity because other sources of fuel damage the environment and also fuel prices are now very high. When thinking of wind power you may think about windmills, but wind can also be turned into electricity. There are several countries in Europe using this power.

Wind power is transformed into electricity by using turbines. The blades turn generating an electrical current which is then powered by a generator. Almost 3% of the sun's energy can be turned into wind energy. But the origin and the use of it can be complex plus there are continuous variables that affect it’s efficiency and usage long term.

The energy of wind can be used as a generator. Most generally, wind turbines are grouped all together and in wind farms. The farms are located all across the country and there are many in California. There are large ones which have 200 turbines and put out approximately 200-300 watts of electricity. There are other countries in Europe that have used wind power successfully. Germany is one of the world's leaders in harnessing wind power.

The location of wind energy is the most important element so it can reap the most benefits. To be successful, they need be placed up as high as possible such as mountains, they also need to be put within close proximity to each other and most certainly, the speed of the wind matters. Experts are experimenting with these variables so they can harness the most energy efficiently.

Some points to consider are that the turbines tend to be quite noisy and will scare away animal life. Another is cost, they are costly to make and to put in place.

Wind energy has the potential to be a viable source of energy and is becoming widely used. To be a practical energy source, scientists are recommending to store up the energy.

This could be done by increasing the output of energy and storing the excess amounts in a surplus. It’s usage could fluctuate, because it should only be used when needed. There would need to be cost comparisons to assure that is cost effective. It can be stored with storage known as flywheel that is hydro electric.

Experts are just now exploring the use of this form of energy on a wide scale basis. There are several countries that are way ahead of us in this area and they include: China, Brazil, United Kingdom, Spain, Canada and Denmark. Denmark makes their own turbines. The US has a very long way to go yet before they can say that are using the power efficiently.

We have an energy crisis and should take action now to do everything and anything possible to utilize geothermal energy technologies as well as other technologies so that we are less dependent on oil. This could potentially be an untapped resource as an alternative energy source because it simply utilizes the energy being produced by the Earth. There is a wealth of power that is located just below the surface. All we need do is take the initiative to tap into it and use it. It is a resource that we are not taking advantage of.

At the core the Earth’s temperature is much greater than that of boiled water. The heat creates pressure that extends a couple of miles below us, and these pressures emit huge amounts of energy.

There are super heated fluids which form into magma. It is similar to the power and energy of a volcanic eruption. The fluids fall to the surface as steam and then emerge. Vents and containment chambers can be created to hold the magna and convert it into energy. A geothermal power plant can be made and would serve as a source of magma or heated fluid. Piping could be used to force the fluids to the surface and emit steam. The steam would then be turned which would generate electricity.

There are critics of this technology who do not believe this source of energy could be used on wide scale basis. Some critics believe that the amount of research involved would be too costly and time consuming.

Also, it would be very expensive to build a geothermal power plant, and there is no guarantee of a profit. Some sites, once tapped, may not produce a sufficient amount of steam for the plant to be reliable. Some environmentalists believe that once surfaced, magma can bring up hazardous materials along with it.

However, the benefits of this type of energy could far outnumber the criticisms and may be worth exploring. It is the energy of the Earth and may not produce any pollutants.

The energy is efficient and it is worth channeling and do not need to be very large. They do not need to be as large as other facilities such as plants dams and atomic energy facilities. This would be less disruptive to the environment. It certainly is an alternative form of energy and the use of it would mean that we are much less dependent on oil and coal.

Keep in mind that we will never run short on geothermal energy. When thinking long term, the results would far outweigh the cost involved with setting it up. The energy would be very cheap inexpensive once the power plant building costs are obtained.