Linc Energy Blog

The current political environment encourages that we enter a new age and explore alternative fuels to energize our future.

"Is it a fact -- or have I dreamt it -- that, by means of electricity, the world of matter has
become a great nerve, vibrating thousands of miles in a breathless point of time?"
--Nathaniel Hawthorne

I’ve spent the majority of my professional life selling products to the Natural Gas Industry. There is no secret that I’m committed to natural gas. It is also no secret that as fossil fuels are depleted we have a responsibility to explore safe ways to extract fuels from hard to get places, but also we need to investigate alternative fuels. This is one of the reasons our warehouse and headquarters are energy efficient with sustainable solar power.

The more I looked into alternative fuel, the more confused I became by all the terms commonly used. In my earlier post, Diversification: Renewable and nonrenewable energy  I explained that renewable energy can be replenished in a short period of time. Additionally, renewable energy does not pollute or harm the environment when used. Energy generated from wind power, solar power, hydroelectric power, tidal power, geothermal power and wave power are excellent examples of renewable energy.

Nonrenewable energy is limited and requires millions of years to produce. Fossil fuels like oil, natural gas and coal, are nonrenewable. This type of energy does harm the environment at varying degrees with natural gas producing considerably less carbon dioxide than coal or oil.

Alternative fuel is a designation to describe fuels that are not considered conventional (or nonrenewable). In other words any fuel that is nonconventional, like renewable fuels would be an alternative fuel.

All renewable energy is considered sustainable energy, but not all sustainable energy is renewable. To be considered sustainable, it must meet our current needs and when used it can’t compromise the needs of future generations. Examples of these would be plant material (biomass), wind power, solar power, wave power, tidal power and geothermal power.

While some consider nuclear energy to be sustainable, others argue that the risks associated with the use of this energy, such as accidents and terrorism, strip fission power from this designation.

Another term that seems to be popping up is green energy. Green energy or green power is a label for energy sources which are non-polluting and combat future global warming.

We have entered the age of alternatives. In subsequent posts I will discuss the pros and cons of various sustainable energies, including solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal energy, tidal energy, wave power and others.
 

 

Tags: natural gas, fossil fuel, alternative energy, nonrenewable energy, renewable energy, biomass, hydropower, geothermal, wind, solar, coal or uranium, shale extraction, hydraulic fracking, alternatives, gas extraction, wind power, currents, green, carbon neutral, wind turbine, renewables, alternative energy, nonrenewable energy, renewable energy, sustainable energy, green energy, green power, wind power, solar power, wave power, tidal power and geothermal power, nuclear energy, fission power, fossil fuels, oil, natural gas, coal

Could natural gas be the link to a renewable energy future? Could it be the energy to bridge the gap between fossil fuels and alternative energy?

In my recent blog, Natural Gas: From eternal flames, lamp lights to heating homes, I highlighted some of the milestones from the Natural Gas Industry. Let’s not let recent incidents, like the Marcellus Shale accident deflate our sails. Now is not the time to acquiesce. Sure, we need to do things safer and better, but we need to keep moving forward.

There is no argument we should move toward a future of total renewable energy. No one disputes that fossil fuels harm the environment. But we’re not even close to being able to satisfy our country’s energy needs with just alternative energies. So where does that leave us? If natural gas isn’t the energy of choice, we’re left with coal, which could be an environmental disaster, or we’re left to importing oil from foreign countries – need I say more?

I say, let’s choose natural gas, the cleaner fossil fuel to link to alternative fuels. Let’s learn from our mistakes, make our processes safer, create a few jobs while we’re at it and make this clean energy lead the charge to a total renewable future.

Enjoy this video from the American Natural Gas Alliance.
 

 

Tags: natural gas, energy, alternative energy, renewable energy, Marcellus Shale, clean energy, wind power, currents, green, carbon neutral, wind turbine, environment, planet, renewables, gasland