Why are solar and nuclear power considered "alternative" energy sources?

they are alternatives because the lion's share of our energy is from crude oil.30 years from now, when the oil is gone, we'll have a different primary source, maybe one of those.

The oil, coal and car manufacturing industries have been fighting energy Independence for three decades.

In the mid and late 70's after the Oil Embargo we set out to become energy indeedndent. We lowered the national speed limit to 55, we made the car manufacturers double their fleet's mileage, and we cleared years of red tape and law suits to create the Alaskan Pipeline.

When Reagan came to office he basically killed the plan and increased oil imports by 50%.

And yes, solar and nuclear is expensive and unpopular with many--and though we can become energy independent, the lobbyists and special interest groups will never allow it to happen.

Solar, wind, geothermal and tidal energy are clean and renewable and should be emphasized..

Nuclear has waste issues and U235 is a finite resource with a relatively short life expectancy of reserves....

Alternative energy refers to any source that is not hydrocarbon or coal.

_____

Solar panels are more efficient converting light into electricity than photosysnthesis is in converting light into biomass. The cost will rapidly decline when more units are demanded and built (much like the original price of , let's say, portable calculators in the 1970s)

Alternative to fossil fuels.

Yes we do.

Nuclear is not to expensive to use -- France already uses it for 80% of its power generation. Solar, perhaps, depending on your definition of too expensive.

Coal lobbyists, yes. And they're making us waste money on "clean coal," which is a complete crock.

Solar because of political inaction, nuclear because of political inaction.

Libs are scared of nuclear power and that is a huge mistake to not build a LOT of nuclear power plants. Solar is too expensive for what it produces. Wind is very expensive too.

I think they use that term because those don't produce pollution from burning fuel like coal and oil do.

Solar is incredibly inefficient and is not economically feasible right now - those panels are expensive. There's nothing wrong with nuclear, libs are just scared of it even though it's incredibly safe now.

Alternative fuel refers to any form of fuel/power generation that does not rely on fossile fuels, coal, oil, gas etc...

It takes a time to do this. It has to be well thought out and well planned. We can't just jump to these alternative fields we have to transition into them.

Build Home Solar Power - http://solarpower.siopu.com/?FBp

because the oil companies think they are gay