USA <----> BRAZIL

As the “Green Revolution” has been placed on high priority, many countries such as the United States and Brazil are moving away from the use of fossil fuels and pushing for alternative energy technologies. The United States has been focusing on increasing wind and solar power. They have also been trying to become less dependent on foreign oil, by increasing the production of fossil fuels. In terms of oil policies, the Obama Administration plans to reduce greenhouse gases emissions by approximately 270 million metric tons and save 530 million barrels of oil. By partnering with industry leaders and other major players, the administration plans to develop post 2018 fuel economy standards for heavy-duty vehicles to further reduce fuel consumption. This will be achieved through the application of advanced cost effective technologies. Movements in the U.S have been made to use natural gas in place of oil and coal. Burning natural gas is about ½ as carbon intensive as coal, making it a critical substitute for many countries as the world transforms to even cleaner sources of energy. . Regarding Brazils oil production they plan to reduce their dependence on foreign energy supplies and concentrate on generating domestic energy. Policies for both oil and ethanol production and use have been adopted to generate nuclear energy and conserve energy. Ethanol production has been very successful, as its production levels have reached 14 billion liters per year. These policies benefited the country’s power of trade, national security, capital goods, industry and labor market. Brazil has also increased its supply of natural gas, however demand has not met up with supply due to high costs. Both countries have begun to use hydroelectric, wind, solar and biomass as alternative technologies. The main difference between both the countries policies is the way in which they will be conducted. The U.S. plans to save their oil reserves in order to maximize their profits when there is universal oil depletion. Brazil has been using money from domestic oil exports to other countries in order to research alternative energy methods, with the hope that such research will provide a breakthrough in the fields of the future’s energy.  I do not believe the US is too reliant on fossil fuels because we have alternative energy methods awaiting there integration into the commercial market, but policies and related laws have to be passed before they can be thoroughly adapted. I believe nuclear energy is considered a prominent alternative and is more feasible than solar energy. Nuclear energy is seen as more environmentally beneficial, as it emits fewer greenhouse gases than coal and other greenhouse gases. There are low operating costs and its large power-generating capacity is able to meet industrial and city needs. On the other hand, solar energy is very expensive. The initial instillation of solar power into homes is very costly. Additionally, solar energy is only able to generate electricity during daylight hours, thus solar panels are inactive for half of the day.