Conventional oil, biofuels and fracking: a comprehensive comparison. As our knowledge of energy resources increases, the potential risks and benefits of each become more and more apparent to us. With these revelations also comes an even greater set of questions about which is the most feasible, sustainable, and environmentally beneficial option to pursue. The last century has seen the world's energy portfolio dominated by conventional oil, which has proven to be both a valuable and environmentally damaging commodity. However, in recent years, new energy sources have become increasingly important as viable alternatives, such as the increasing development of the use of biofuels in transport, as well as the rapid increase in both the extraction and exploitation of unconventional natural gas reserves by the hydraulic fracturing process. Of course, each of these energy sources has its benefits and potential dangers, many of which are as different as the fuel sources themselves. Biofuels are relatively easy to extract and are naturally abundant sources of energy; however, they come with a certain set of moral arguments against their use. Furthermore, the hydraulic fracturing process used to extract unconventional sources of natural gas allows us to reach otherwise completely unattainable energy deposits, but raises several concerns about the safety of the process and the potential environmental impacts it could generate. The success and viability of these fuel types are direct functions of the social, economic, and political influences associated with each type. When compared to conventional oil, the relative ease of transition to unconventional natural gas sources is greater than that of biofuels and conventional oil, whose policies are more nationally based. The EPA is currently conducting research into the potential public health effects of fracking; however, since 2005 the EPA has no longer been permitted to police the fracking industry following a change to the Energy Policy Act (Schweitzer & Weaver, 2013). Finally, it is quite evident that many differences as well as similarities exist between these three potential future energy sources. Therefore, it is quite cliché, but still true, to say that our ability to address each of the problems in the coming years will ultimately determine our energy future. Only when we can quickly and efficiently mitigate issues related to each source, infrastructure, politics and social concerns, will we be able to truly transition away from conventional sources of oil..