Oil and Gas Executive, Ivan
Lasater gives us his perspective and insight into sustainable and alternative
energy resources.
Introduction
My name is Ivan Lasater and I’m an Executive Operations
Manager for the Petroleum Industry. I am a Production Recovery Enhancement
Specialist and I engineer systems that recover up to 99% of the oil vapors
found in oil storage tanks. I am also an environmentally conscious individual
who lives in Moab, Utah and loves the outdoors.
Observation
For over a century now, Fossil
Fuels have been the backbone of energy resources in the United States and
around the world. Alternative energy supplies are being sought out and
developed at alarming rates at the behest of environmentally conscious
consumers bent on wiping fossil fuels from the grid. The only problem is the
development and efficiency of these alternative resources are still in their
infancy and though technology and research into sustainable energy resources
has been growing, the cost of implementing alternative energy coupled with the
environmental impact are still lending fossil fuels relevance in today’s energy
market.
Renewable Energy
By renewable energy, I mean
resources like hydroelectric dams, wind turbines, and solar power. These are referred
to as renewable energy because we are using the Earth’s natural resources to
create energy and they have very little environmental waist as a result. Also,
renewable energy doesn’t deplete the resource from which it is derived, (i.e.)
sun, water, and wind. But just because something doesn’t necessarily produce a
significant amount of waste doesn’t mean it has an insignificant impact on the
environment.
A Shining Example
Let’s take solar energy for example. Harnessing the power of
the sun is a great idea. There are normally two ways in which we do this. They
involve storing the sun’s energy in cells that will produce electricity and
harnessing the sun’s energy to heat water. This can have many useful
applications on a small-scale level like individual homes and tracks of land.
However, in order for it to be efficient on a large scale it would require vast
expanses of land which would have an adverse effect on animal habitats. A great
many consumers aren’t aware of the negative impacts that renewable energy
resources could have on animal habitats and their pocket book at this point in
their stage of development. This leaves fossil fuels as the industry leader in
energy, simply by default. To condemn fossil fuels and their development now
would be the equivalent of cutting off our nose despite our face. Here are a
list of pros and cons concerning renewable and sustainable energy resources.
Pros
·
Renewable
energy has proven to have a less harmful impact on the environment than fossil
energy
·
Renewable
energy is sustainable and doesn’t deplete it source
·
Organic
garbage can be employed as biomass to create sustainable energy
·
Solar and
wind energy can potentially create much more energy than fossil fuels to meet
the worlds demands
·
Green
energy could potentially create jobs and boost the economy
Cons
·
Large
tracks of land required for solar and wind energy
·
Toxic heat
transfer fluids required
·
Toxic
chemicals used in the manufacture of technology and batteries
·
Erosion
caused by wind farms
·
Roads and
facilities built on public lands to access solar and wind farms
·
The
building of dams for hydroelectric power disrupts natural habitats and
migration patterns
·
Dams flood
rich farm land and displace inhabitants
·
Damns
change the chemical and biological makeup of water downstream
·
Alternative
energy is expensive to install and maintain
·
Consumers won’t
see a cost return on their renewable energy for an average of 20 years
·
Alternative
sources to renewable energy may be required for winter months and unpredictable
weather patterns
Summary
Now this is just one man’s observation. I have nothing
against renewable and sustainable energy. I believe that with the proper amount
of research and development we can harness several alternatives to fossil fuels
and make them environmentally safe as well as cost effective. I also believe that
the jobs we can create in this area will strengthen the economy and provide
opportunity for education in cutting edge technology. But I don’t think we’re there quite yet. In
the meantime, investing money into the technological development and environmental
impact of fossil fuels may prove to be the most inexpensive and practical way of
providing energy to the nation as a whole.
