This page is dedicated to creating a list of Alternative Energy topics for discussion and for possible future research. The first of these will be “what is Alternative Energy?” According to Wikipedia, Alternative energy is “an umbrella term that refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels”. What this means is that Alternative Energy searches for ways to replace conventional methods of producing energy that are sustainable, renewable, and not harmful to the environment. Basically, what it seeks is to use the forces of nature in a way that is complementary to create energy. For example, instead of digging into the ground to find fossil fuels, Alternative Energy will use sources of movement in nature to convert it to energy. The power of the wind can be converted to electricity by a wind turbine, and the power of the tides can also perform the same task, by using a turbine underwater. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) web site, other forms of Alternative Energy include Solar Power (Photovoltaic, Concentrated, and Thermal), Biomass, Geothemal, Hydrogen Fuel Cells.  Compared to more conventional methods, these types of energy production have a much less detrimental effect to the surrounding environment. Why is Alternative Energy important, and why has it become one the buzz words in recent years? Well, as we humans continue to advance our civilizations, hopefully we also learn to utilize our resources in ways that assure we are not destroying the planet for those that come after us. We can no longer continue to assume that all the fossil fuels will sustain us in the manner that they have since the Industrial Revolution.