by Jaimi Hemmerich

Created on: August 14, 2009   Last Updated: September 11, 2009

In a nation that is consistently defined by excess, it should come as no surprise that our desire for bigger and better has led us to quite the dilemma concerning fuel sources and energy production. We have always known that our earth's fossil fuels are limited,and we would have to find an alternative source for fuel. In recent years, it has become apparent that the methods by which we produce energy and consume fuel are detrimental to the environment and, frankly, outdated. One of the biggest problems is the lack of a long-term energy solution/fuel source that is environmentally friendly, renewable and efficient. Oil is very costly to purchase and is being consumed by the American public at an ever-increasing rate. Coal is plentiful but definitely not environmentally friendly. "The United States, having consumed from 82% to 88% of its proved oil reserves, now imports more than 60% of its oil at an annual cost of approximately $75 billion" (Pimentel, Herz, Glickstein, Zimmerman, Allen, Beckner, Evans, Hussain, Sarsfeld, Grosfeld, & Seidel, 2002, 2). Oil is not only costly for American consumers but is also a source of international conflict and detrimental to our environment. For all these reasons and many more, now is the time that we as a nation must get involved in a solution. The United States government, oil companies, American citizens, the automotive industry and US energy producers must ban together to find a cure for our oil dependency - we need to become more efficient in our consumption, develop alternative sources and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

The first step in the crusade for a solution calls for the involvement of the US government. So, what is our government doing currently to alleviate these issues? The US government has been and is currently investing in a myriad of alternative fuel technologies. According to Samuel Bodman (2005), Secretary of Energy Biography, the President's current energy policy focuses on "conservation, technology and greater overall efficiency, as well as the development of renewable and alternative fuel sources". The Bush administration spent over $200 million for production of alternative fuel, including ethanol based fuel. Over the last 7 years, the production and use of ethanol based fuels such as E85, a mixture of 85% ethanol made from corn and 15% gasoline, has more than doubled. The government has also proposed investing $1.2 billion for research that will aid in the development of hydrogen fuel cell

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