Random Waves of Insight

I heard on the news today that the "average" family will need to spend an additional $750 on heating oil this winter. One person said natural gas is a cheaper alternative, but that after a couple of years, it too will be an expensive fuel source. So what are the alternatives?

Geothermal energy, while expensive, was cited as a possible method for heating a home, but only when heating oil and natural gas have surpassed it in cost. Burning wood in a fireplace also came up. One take is that wood is a renewable source, so technically, it is green. But someone else said it really isn't "green" at all. They didn't explain why.

I think I've heard why previously. I believe the fact that burning wood releases carbon smoke makes it bad in the same way that burning coal is bad. It's the final outcome that is looked at as being non-green. A truly green fuel source should only produce energy and things that are good for the environment, like water. That's why the hydrogen fuel cell, if it can ever become truly viable, is such a cool idea.

Here's yet another heating alternative: electric heaters. This too is expensive. But soon we will have reached the point where every unnecessarily expensive alternative will no longer be a bad idea, but instead, worth looking into.

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