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1900's
The French inventor Lenoir invented an internal combustion engine that used gasoline as fuel. It was a big relief for the oil companies since petroleum was not a preferred automobile fuel. The German inventors Dailmer and Benz invented the first automobile by mounting the engine on a carriage. Henry Ford later put automobiles into mass production, and the car started to become a common means of transportation. The Wright brothers invented the first airplane with a gasoline engine, which ushered in an era of faster and cheaper transporation.
Modern Times
As the exhaustion of fossil fuels and the enviromental damage cause by the pollutants produced thereof become notable, scientist began to seek for an alternative source of energy. Some of the types of energy sources that are becoming popular are solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass and geothermal energy. Many of them had already been developed nearly a century ago, but are only now coming into widespread use. Nuclear energy is widely used today. Its efficiency in producing energy is very attractive but the disposal of radioactive waste that is harmful to the environment is the main concern.
As we look over our energy's history, one thing is clear: the energy sources that have sustained civilized society for so long, namely fossil fuels, have been abused and are now rapidly becoming nonexistent. It is important for us to learn that whatever the energy source of the future turns out to be, we must learn to conserve and value it.
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