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This essay argues many points about the different alternate energies.

**__Solar Power__** Solar energy converts the photons that hit the Earth from the sun into electricity. While solar energy currently costs more than some of the other alternate energies, with the research occurring now, the efficiency of solar panels have been improving exponentially to combat its high fixed cost. After installation, solar panels can constantly process photons from the sun into usable energy, without any extra man-power required. The United States has a huge potential for solar energy, with “at least 250,000 square miles of land in the Southwest alone” that could be used for solar plants, which receives “4,500 quadrillion British thermal units” of solar radiation every year (Zweibel, Mason, Fthenakis 64). Converting less than 5% of that energy would generate enough energy to meet the United States’ total energy needs for an entire year. **__Wind Power__** Turbines generate electricity when the wind blows. They are placed high in the air so that nothing obscures the wind from hitting the turbines. The energy is then transferred by wires to be stored or used immediately. One of the main issues with wind turbines, is that they can be infuriating to people who hate looking at these big ugly white towers in their backyards. Currently only “.5 percent of U.S. electricity [is] produced by wind turbines” and in order to access the full capabilities of wind, many millions of dollars would have to be spent on building the turbines (Kammen 89). In addition to these concerns over cosmetics, research must be done with migratory birds, so that turbines do not upset the migrations of a species of bird. **__Nuclear__** Nuclear energy is harnessed from smashing two atoms together, creating an unstable atom plutonium, which decays giving off energy. This source of energy is widely used in Europe, but many concerns spin public opinion of the matter. Fear of nuclear melt downs like what happened in Chernobyl, Ukraine and the large amounts of nuclear waste that result are only two of the many downsides to nuclear energy. Something else would be that the facilities are very expensive to build, and people would rather not see such massive structures. **__Hydroelectric__** Hydroelectric power is generated from turbines that are spun by moving water from rivers. The turbines are stored in dams like the Hoover Dam, and generate electricity from the water. Many concerns exist over the ecosystems and how dams will affect them. The turbines “ subject fish to high shear forces ” which cause many fish to sustain injury or death from these dams, upsetting the ecosystem (US 9). Migrations must be accounted for, and this limits the actual amount of possibilities where hydroelectric power could be considered. **__ Biofuels __** While biofuels may hold the answers to our fuel consumption, it does not provide for our energy consumption. Biofuels result from extracting cellosic organic molecules from switchgrass, corn, and algae and converting it into a “grassoline” to be used in automobiles (Dale 54). Of all the types of alternate energy, biofuels require the most man power, and are therefore less efficient as a whole, because what you gain from the cheaper energy, you lose (as an economy) with having to fund research and pay those who actually make the fuel. Unlike solar or wind energy, plants housing biofuel plants require much care in the watering of said plants as well as extracting the useful parts of the plants. With solar and wind, the only manpower needed would be those who install the systems, the rest would take place as it currently does, with the cables carrying the electricity to plants to be sent out like it is now. **__Bibliography__** Bennett, Ralph. Kotek, John. Lake, James. “Next Generation Nuclear Power” Scientific American pg. 73-81. 2001. Dale, Bruce. Huber, George. “Grassoline at the Pump” Scientific American pg. 52-59. 2009. Fthenakis, Vasilis. Mason, James. Zweibel, Ken. “A Solar Grand Plan” Scientific American pg. 64-73. 2007. Kammen, Daniel. “The Rise of Renewable Energy” Scientific American 2006. U.S. Department of Energy. “Hydropower - Setting a Course for Our Energy Future” July 2004.