It’s a measure of just how dependent the world has become on fossil fuels that we call any other form of energy production “alternative” energy. Ironically, humans relied on many of these so-called alternatives long before they learned to burn coal or refine petroleum into heating oil and gasoline, relying on the sun and the wind to keep themselves comfortable. Yet these Stone Age strategies, and many others, are today labeled not only alternative, but too often “experimental,” “impractical” or “anti-progress”—and undeservedly so.

It is the aim of this book to provide an overview of energy sources and strategies beyond fossil fuels and along the way to dispel many of the misconceptions about them. Based on facts and figures rather than unsubstantiated claims and scare tactics, this book should inspire, inform and enlighten readers.

Why Do We Need Alternatives? To answer that question, we need to start by discussing fossil fuels—what they are, where they come from, how they are used and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Within this context, the pressing need for alternatives becomes quite clear.