I. IntroductionOne of the most controversial debates in today's field of environmental concerns concerns how to secure the energy needed to maintain and improve the quality of life in the future. To this day, humanity has abundant reserves of cheap crude oil, which can be refined into a multitude of products that make life so convenient for many people: gasoline, fuel oil, natural gas, plastics and fertilizers. In some parts of the world, these technologies simply make survival easier. But concern about what happens when those supplies dwindle is universal. Science has revealed that oil will not last forever at the rate it is being consumed. It is therefore necessary to develop alternatives capable of providing sustainable energy levels for the future of humanity. We are entering a world in which, from an energy point of view, renewable energy is the name of the game. In addition to making it easier to wean humans off fossil fuels, renewable energy has many environmental benefits, because renewable means cleanliness . Most scientists would argue that, although the magnitude of the benefits we will reap might be speculative, human and environmental well-being will increase through the exploitation of renewable energy sources. If modern science is correct, the use of clean, renewable energy would lead to better air quality, a reduction in climate change and the greenhouse effect, and perhaps even the luxury of providing most or all of our energy at the national level. This means that countries like the United States would strongly resist the consequences of a global energy crisis and international political tensions surrounding the oil trade. Even if they are more expensive, renewable energies have a lot to gain....... amidst the ......erations of paper, we have to take the plunge. Encyclopedia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 04/15/2007. http://0-search.eb.com.tiger.coloradocollege.edu/eb/article-79648 “Gasoline.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 04/15/2007. http://0-search.eb.com.tiger.coloradocollege.edu/eb/article-9036148 Godoi AFL, Ravindra K, Godoi RHM, Andrade SJ, Santiago-Silva M, Vaeck LV, Grieken RN. 2004. “Rapid Chromatographic Determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Aerosol Samples from Sugarcane Combustion.” Journal of Chromatography A 1027: 49-53. Hodge C. 2002. “Use of Ethanol in U.S. Gasoline Should Be Banned, Not Expanded.” » Oil and Gas Journal 100: 20-27. Wackernagel M, Rees W. 1995. “Our ecological footprint: reducing human impact on Earth.” » Gabriola Island (Canada): New Society.