Alternate energy is essential


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As college students living in Southern California, chances are we’ve all heard plenty about alternative energy sources. No doubt, most of us already carry biases regarding wind turbines, solar panels and biofuels. Australian entrepreneur Roger Davey, however, introduced something new into the mix this past September.

With the help of his company EnviroMission, Davey plans to construct a solar updraft tower in the Arizona desert. By directing upward-moving air heated by the sun at ground level through electricity-generating turbines, enough electricity to power up to 100,000 homes would be generated per day.

Davey’s estimated $750 million endeavor raises an important question about the future of global energy resources: Is alternative energy worth it? The Southern California Public Power Authority seems to think so — it has already purchased a segment of the power to be generated by the tower.

The more subtle argument in favor of renewed energy is it has potential to change the scientific, economic, and, as we see here, entrepreneurial pursuits in society.

Alternative energy development lacks serious obstacles when compared to other causes. Lunar exploration, for example, has been all but abandoned by the government. Stem cell research is blocked by die-hards taking moral issue at every turn. A surprisingly visible controversy surrounding new energy, meanwhile, is the cries of outrage from those upset about its supposed aesthetic failings. No one can logically claim that the creation of energy — essential to practically every single aspect of our daily lives — is a worthless endeavor.

New energy’s biggest hurdles are resistance to creative technology and too much faith in the longevity of fossil fuels. What the public doesn’t seem to understand is that just because we’re not quite yet out of resources,  doesn’t mean we shouldn’t search for alternatives.

Davey faced this kind of opposition in Australia; this is why he took his project to the United States — a country known for embracing innovation.

As Davey’s project demonstrates, the possibilities for new energy are endless and appear to be extremely practical.

 

Francesca Bessey is an undeclared freshman.