Energy for the FutureEnergy is often considered the most precious resource in the world. With its wide range of uses, it is essentially the backbone of the modern world and technology. For many years, the United States and other countries around the world have relied heavily on fossil fuels to meet their energy needs. This dependence has led to many problems not only environmental but also political and economic. Using imported oil as its main energy source, the United States constantly finds itself grappling with major economic problems if the price begins to rise. All this in light of the fact that a large percentage of the world's oil and fossil fuels come from the Middle East, one of the most unstable and dangerous regions on the planet. As seen in the past, any complications in this area end up equating to severe fluctuations in oil prices which in turn are directly related to the performance of our economy. In addition to these disadvantages, burning fossil fuels has a huge negative impact on the environment due to massive carbon dioxide emissions and pollution. This is why it is essential to discover and use renewable energy sources. In the list of possible alternatives, solar, wind and geothermal energy stand out as the most useful and also the most convenient. Although using solar radiation as an energy source is a relatively new idea, it has enormous potential as an alternative to fossil fuels. A website promoting the use of alternative energy states that “the sun, an average star, is a fusion reactor that has been burning for over 4 billion years. It provides enough energy in one minute to meet the world's energy needs for a year" ("Renewable energy"). Solar energy would be... at the center of the paper... Rightly so, it is essential that renewable energy is not ignored so that we can safeguard planet Earth and the future of humanity. Works Cited"British Wind Energy. " British Wind Energy. Network. February 20, 2012. "Geothermal Systems." EIA Energy Children. US Energy Information Administration, December 16, 2011. Article. February 25, 2012. McCrone, Angus. "New Renewable Energy Capacity Totaling 7 trillion dollars over the next 20 years." Bloomberg. Bloomberg LP, November 16, 2011. Web. February 21, 2012. Michaelides, Efstathios E. "Geothermal Energy." Advanced World Book. World Book, 2012. Database. February 24, 2012. “Renewable Energy.” Alternative Energy. 19 February 2012. “Solar Energy Basics.” National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 07 October 2009. Web. 18 February 2012. Taylor, Medford. "Wind Energy." National Geographic Society. 20 February. 2012.