Alternatives to Petroleum

Alternative fuels
Alternative fuels, also known as non-conventional fuels, are any materials or substances that can be used as a fuel, other than conventional fuels.Some well known alternative fuels include biodiesel, bioalcohol (methanol, ethanol, butanol), chemically stored electricity (batteries and fuel cells), hydrogen, non-fossil methane, non-fossil natural gas, vegetable oil and other biomass sources.

Renewable Energy

1.Water Power
Energy in water (in the form of kinetic energy, temperature differences or salinity gradients) can be harnessed and used. Since water is about 800 times denser than air,even a slow flowing stream of water, or moderate sea swell, can yield considerable amounts of energy.Some forms of water energy are Hydroelectric energy,Ocean Energy.

2.Solar Energy
Solar energy refers to energy that is collected from sunlight. Solar energy can be applied in many ways.

3.Biofuel
Plants use photosynthesis to grow and produce biomass. Also known as biomatter, biomass can be used directly as fuel or to produce liquid biofuel. Agriculturally produced biomass fuels, such as biodiesel, ethanol and bagasse (often a by-product of sugar cane cultivation) can be burned in internal combustion engines or boilers.

4.Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy is energy obtained by tapping the heat of the earth itself, usually from kilometers deep into the Earth's crust.  Ultimately, this energy derives from heat in the Earth's core.

Soft energy path
The soft energy path assumes that energy is but a means to social ends, and is not an end in itself. Soft energy paths involve efficient use of energy, diversity of energy production methods (matched in scale and quality to end uses), and special reliance on co-generation and "soft technologies" (i.e., alternative technology) such as solar energy, wind energy, biofuels, geothermal energy, etc.

Nuclear Dependence
Nuclear Power currently has the ability to replace other forms of electricity generation, this does not include a large number of petroleum uses.