Those old enough to remember the gas shortages of the 1970s will understand what could happen if we ran out of fossil fuels without a viable alternative. Today, fossil fuel reserves are becoming increasingly difficult to extract and are of lower quality and insufficient volume to meet global demand. Concern about fossil fuels and their effect on the environment is becoming increasingly important. So how can the United States reduce its dependence on fossil fuels? To truly solve the problem, much of our infrastructure and our daily practices around transportation, food, and electricity will need to change. Transportation will have to be changed both in the way we use it and the type of fuels. are used. Food production, storage and transportation will have to be changed. Electricity will also need to change, both in how it is generated and how we use it on a daily basis. When most people think about fossil fuel use, they think about personal transportation. There are many ways to reduce energy consumption in transportation. For short distances, walking and cycling are healthy alternatives to using a vehicle that uses fossil fuels. In many areas, public transportation may also be an option. Electric cars are also an efficient alternative in the right areas. The biggest problem with electric cars is the ability to charge the vehicle away from home. Another concern with these vehicles is their limited range. Another alternative is to buy a diesel car to reduce your dependence on fossil fuels. Diesels can run on biodiesel fuels or entirely on non-fossil fuel based ingredients. Most diesels require little or no mechanical conversion to run on biodiesel fuel, which is becoming more readily available at gas stations around the world. Changes in how we grow and transport our food will also help. Reducing our electricity usage while reducing the source of electricity will also provide huge benefits. There are many other areas where improvements could be made, but I believe these areas would have the greatest impact on reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. Works Cited Why People Still Use Inefficient Incandescent Light Bulbs, Jolie Lee, December 27, 2013, retrieved from http:/ /www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2013/12/27/incandescent-light-bulbs -phaseout-leds/4217009/Encouraging Renewable Energy, retrieved from http://www.nwf.org/What -We-Do/Energy-and-Climate/Renewable-Energy.aspxWood Stoves, n.d., retrieved from http:// www.forgreenheat.org/technology/wood_stoves.htmlBurn Wise; Learn Before You Burn, January 2014, retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/burnwise/index.html