The world as we know it may not last very long. This is not one of those doomsday uttering. The statement is based on facts. Any way you look at it, the world is sitting on an edge of a precipice. On the one hand, the world has almost run out of fossil fuels while on the other hand the effects of random abuse of fossil fuels for so long are beginning to catch up with us in the form of the greenhouse effects. Renewable energy sources are not being dealt with as seriously as they need to have been. For different aspects of these and other related subjects there is a Book on Renewable Energy written by Brad Linscott that is an eye opener on the way the US has dealt with the subject so far.
The various renewable energy sources are wind power, hydropower, solar energy, biomass, biofuel and geothermal energy. The Renewable Energy Data Book discusses various aspects of these renewable energy sources and the way in which these sources have been supported so far by the US. Renewable Energy A common Sense Energy Plan written by Brad Linscott discusses the US has spent more than $200 billion in the last 50 years. While the goal of the US in 1977 was being independent from the constantly increasing demand for more energy today the renewable energy sources provide but a small fraction of the energy needs.
The Book on Renewable Energy goes on to state that most of the renewable energy sources are not economically competitive with the large electric plants. In spite of best efforts the costs of the wind and solar derived energy vary from 2-8 times the current energy cost. The Renewable Energy Data Book goes on to state that it is about time that the US addressed the plan to develop energy alternatives that are clean and reliable besides being available in abundance.