The topic of climate change has been heavily debated in the political world in recent years. However; the overwhelming majority of scientists believe that not only is climate change a real and imminent threat but it is also reversible, although time is running out. Each year our planet is getting warmer, more species of marine life become endangered, and humanity continues to drain the Earth of its fossil fuels resulting in an increase in the emission of greenhouse gases. The United States is the greatest superpower on Earth. As a world leader, the United States needs to lead by example and reinvent its energy system into using clean, renewable energy sources so that future generations can live on a clean and inhabitable planet.
Possibly the most important reason for a change to renewable energy is the effect that the burning of fossil fuels has on the environment. The overwhelming majority of scientists believe that the primary cause for global warming is “human expansion of the greenhouse effect,” (“Climate Change Causes,” 2017). The greenhouse effect is a result of heat that is radiating from Earth being trapped inside our atmosphere. This trapping of heat is caused by certain gases that are emitted from the burning of fossil fuels, carbon dioxide being one of the major culprits. When heat is trapped within the Earth’s atmosphere, it results in warmer temperatures across the globe. Global warming causes the oceans’ temperatures to rise, which can result in melting of glaciers in the Antarctic. This in turn causes sea levels to rise, resulting in further warming (“Climate Change Causes,” 2017). Rising sea levels have many potentially harmful effects on life on this planet. One major effect could be the contamination of drinking water in coastal communities. As the sea levels rise, increasing amounts of salt water begin to invade fresh water sources. This fresh water is no longer able to be used for the various things it is used for, such as drinking and farming. The salinization of fresh water will also have serious effects on coastal wildlife.
The public health benefits that stem from transitioning to renewable energy are yet another factor that come into play. Burning fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas, causes major public health problems. Heart problems, breathing problems, neurological damage, and cancer have all been linked to the burning of fossil fuels (“Benefits of Renewable Energy Use,” 2013). Air pollution is not the only type of pollution that results from using fossil fuels. Water pollution has recently become an infamous issue with fracking. Excessive water consumption can also become an issue in fracking and also within oil, gas, and coal plants, because the machines require water to cool them (“Benefits of Renewable Energy Use,” 2013). The transition to renewable energy would not only reduce the risk factors for these health problems, but it also has the potential to increase economic growth in an indirect way. The health problems that this type of pollution can cause are expensive to treat. Improving public health would result in less money spent on treating these disease, and more money remaining within the pockets of the average person. Generally, temperatures rising because of global warming causes more health problems as well. Higher temperatures cause more heat related deaths and illnesses, such as heat stroke. Climate change can also have an indirect effect on public health, with certain areas becoming warmer and wetter and staying that way longer, the populations grow of insects that thrive in those conditions. Those insects can also carry diseases such as Lyme disease with tics or West Nile virus in mosquitos (“Climate Change Impacts,” 2017). Individuals with pre-existing conditions such as asthma are at greater risk in these changing climates. As the air becomes warmer and humidity rises, this exacerbates conditions, such as asthma. (“Climate Impacts on Human Health,” 2017). People in lower income households are also at greater risk, due to their lack of access to adequate air conditioning in the warmer times of the year, so they are exposed to extreme heat more. Climate change also influences weather. Global warming causes an increase in floods, droughts, and other extreme weather events. These events can lead to injury and/or illness, and they can also cause economic problems with damage to roadways, buildings, homes, bridges, and other public properties (“Climate Impacts on Human Health,” 2017).
Global warming and climate change does not only effect humans. The effect climate change has on wildlife is severe, for example; the effect on waterfowl. Ducks, geese, and swans are all being affected by climate change. The Prairie Pothole Region in North American between the United States and Canadian border is an area that has seen some major negative effects. This area is one of the most important breeding grounds for waterfowl in North America. Projections of future drought-like conditions predict a significant decrease in reproduction among waterfowl (“Global Warming and Waterfowl,” 2017). Another species heavily impacted by the negative effects of climate change is the polar bear. The increase in melting ice results in less ice platforms for polar bears to travel on, this forces them to swim further distances in dangerous waters, which then causes a decrease in hunting and a scarcity in food. The U.S. Geological Survey has predicted that two-thirds of the polar bear population will be gone by the year 2050, a direct result of the reduction of the polar bear’s habitat, sea ice (“Global Warming and Polar Bears,” 2017).
Global warming and climate change also influence weather patterns. The release of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide causes the trapping of heat within the Earth’s atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is emitted from many different types of industrial and power plants, as well as automobiles. This buildup of heat within the Earth’s atmosphere can cause extreme weather patterns, such as increased rain. Heavy rainfall can have many detrimental effects. Heavy rain can result in flooding and could even cause landslides, resulting in millions of dollars in damage to personal and public property. Global warming can also cause droughts, resulting in the drying out of streams and lowering of river levels, which is detrimental to fish and plant life that rely on these bodies of water. Droughts also have negative effects on crops and can even cause forest fires due to the dry wood and other plant life, and the lack of water makes it difficult to extinguish a wild fire. In a more extreme example, if we were to continue at this rate sea levels would rise to the point of changing the geography of coastal areas. Certain coastal towns would then be pushed inland as the sea takes over. This would result in a decline in tourism, a primary source of income for hundreds of coastal towns (“Extreme Weather,” 2013).
The environmental benefits of making the switch to renewable energy resources are vast, however; there are also many economic benefits to converting to renewable energy including job creation. As of 2013 about 6.5 million people work in the renewable energy sector (Renner, 2016). This is up from 2.3 million people in 2009. The job growth in the renewables industry is surging. If the United States greenlit a full-blown transition into renewable energy, the job growth would be even more remarkable. Those individuals who have lost their jobs in the coal and oil industries who are struggling to find work would have many opportunities open to them in the renewable energy job sector. Not only would there be immense job growth, but the jobs would be widely varied in different fields. Job opportunities would open in part manufacturing, construction, operation, installation and more. These opens a wide range of opportunities for individuals from various education and experienced backgrounds. In January 2017 Fortune magazine reported that “solar and wind industries alone are creating jobs at a rate 12 times faster than the rest of the U.S. economy” (Samuelson, 2017). When it comes to job creation in renewable energy versus the fossil fuel industry not only are there more jobs in renewable energy, but installing equipment, such as windmills and solar panels is kept local. This results in more money into the economies of local communities (“Renewable Electricity Economic Benefits,” 2013). Another economic benefit of renewables is the cost effectiveness. While building renewable energy facilities and constructing the equipment required can become a costly endeavor, the energy we receive from free sources, such as wind, the sun, or water is free. The costs of constructing these facilities results in the cost of renewables to be higher than the cost of fossil fuels, however; renewable energy projects have caused massive job growth, which results in economic growth. Those individuals who have been out of work due to coal mines and fracking sites shutting down would now have the opportunity for jobs in the renewable energy industry, bringing money to the pockets of the middle class circulates money back into the economy with the purchase of basic goods.
Increased emission of greenhouse gases and the subsequent effects on the global climate have sparked revolutionary innovations in the energy sector. This raises questions in the economic effects of renewable energy sources. Due to rises in the world’s population, the demand of energy from fossil fuels has steadily increased. The Energy Information Administration has predicted an increase by 48% in the world’s energy consumption by the year 2040 (Stefan, Georgeta, & Cristian, 2017). Knowing that burning more fossil fuels causes an increase in greenhouse gases, and furthermore having a detrimental effect on the world’s climate, the need for further investment in renewable energy advancement becomes more prevalent. However, is transitioning to renewable energy sustainable economically? “[Economic] growth is regarded as sustainable if the existing population’s desires are fulfilled without undermining the ability of upcoming generations to meet their own necessities,” (Stefan, Georgeta, & Cristian, 2017).
An alarming statistic to take into consideration is the Reserves-to-Production ratio. This ratio states “the length of time the [energy] reserves would last if their usage continued at the current rate,” (“Your Guide to Renewable Energy,” 2016). The most current ratio given by BP for North America is 33.14. This means that North America’s oil reserves will only be available for a little over 33 years. This is a real problem, because most of the United States’ oil comes from Canada. These numbers do fluctuate based on usage and oil discovery, however; 33 years is not far off, and we have barely begun to scrape the surface of innovation in renewable energy. Another advantage in renewable energy is the fact that it is renewable. While the cost of harnessing the energy may be higher than fossil fuels right now, the energy harnessed is basically infinite.
The United States has begun to take steps in a positive direction toward transition to renewables. Right now, the major advances are being done on the State level. There are currently 29 states in the United States that have adopted a Renewable Electricity Standard. Renewable Electricity Standard’s give each individual state a quota to reach for electricity coming from renewable resources each year, such as wind, biomass, solar, or geothermal energy, and to reduce the amount of fossil fuels used (“Renewable Electricity Standards Deliver Economic Benefits,” 2013). If these standards were regulated on the federal level, and required of each state to meet a specific standard based on its geographic location, that would be an even greater step in the direction toward utilization of renewable energy and reduction of fossil fuels.
Wind energy is a common form of renewable energy that has been used since the early 1900s. Wind energy (or wind power) is generated by wind turbines. Wind spins the turbines and in turn generates power in the form of electricity that can power towns (“Wind Energy Basics,” 2017). An advantage of wind energy is that its free and infinite. Wind energy also does not pollute the environment. Although wind energy is free to produce, because wind is a natural phenomenon that occurs daily all over the Earth, the cost of building and installing the power plants and turbines is what becomes costly. At times, it can be costlier than the production of most fossil fuels. “Roughly 80% of the cost is machinery, with the balance being site preparation and installation,” (“Wind Energy Basics,” 2017). Wind energy does have some obstacles and downfalls as of now that cause it to not be the most efficient renewable energy source. Some of these obstacles include prime location for wind farms. For the most part, ideal locations for harnessing wind power are not located near major population centers, where it could be taken advantage of to its fullest extent. Since wind cannot be stored easily, this causes difficulties in transporting the electricity generated from wind to the major cities and populated areas.
Solar energy is another form of renewable energy. It is possibly the most commonly used form, and is certainly the most abundant because solar energy is the harnessing of sunlight and converting it into a form of usable energy. As with wind energy, the initial investment of buying and installing solar panels is where most of the cost comes in. After spending the money for the solar panels, the energy created by them is free. Another advantage is that solar panels are reliable as they do not have many moving parts in them, so they do not break down as easily. The obvious disadvantage to solar power is that no power is produced overnight as the sun is not out (“Alternative Energy”). There is a common misconception that the sun needs to be shining for solar panels to be able to produce power. Many people do not realize that even on cloudy days, the solar panels are still collecting sunlight. Solar energy has become more popular in the private sector in recent years, as many people are installing solar panels at their homes and businesses. There are also companies, such as SolarCity, that if your home qualifies under their standards, will install solar panels on your home at no charge.
Biomass energy is another form of renewable energy. Human beings have been using biomass energy for millions of years, as the burning of wood is a form of biomass energy. Biomass energy can be created from plant waste such as wasted crops. Energy can also be gathered from plants grown specifically for harnessing biomass energy. As of now biofuel, a form of biomass energy, is the only renewable source of energy that can be used as a replacement for traditional petroleum fuel that powers vehicles. Biofuel is also the only form of renewable energy that can be converted into a liquid form and then transported to wherever it needs to go. Biofuels can be used in most vehicles today. This may be a more practical solution for people than switching to an electric car. Another use for biomass energy is biopower. In biopower, biomass fuels are used for heat and electricity in homes. This is done basically by the same process as traditional fossil fuels. One advantage to biomass energy that puts it at the top of the list of renewable energy sources to invest in, is its immediate availability. Biomass energy can be stored easily, and used upon immediately when needed. Almost every other form of renewable energy relies on favorable environmental conditions for that energy (“Bioenergy Basics,” 2016). Another advantage to biofuels derived from biomass energy is it can be produced right here in the United States. The United States would no longer have to rely on foreign governments, paying money to them, and making deals with them for oil. We could produce the biofuels right here within our own borders. This would create jobs and stimulate the U.S. economy. Additionally, biomass energy supports agriculture. Local farms and farmers could be utilized to grow biomass crops, which in turn would be supporting local businesses and employing more people (“Biomass Energy Basics,” 2016).
Renewable energy is still in its early stages of development. There are still many pros and cons to switching to renewables. The world has used fossil fuels as our main source of energy since the industrial revolution, when coal became our primary energy source, so it is difficult to imagine that there is another way. One potentially significant disadvantage to renewable energy would be that certain forms of energy would not be available to everyone based on geographical location. An example of this would be hydroelectric power. Another disadvantage to renewables would be that “solar and wind power are intermittent by nature,” (“Your Guide to Renewable Energy,” 2016). In conclusion, there are significant factors hindering the development of the renewable energy industry, and hindering the United States from taking the leap into renewables, however; the time has come for the world to make drastic changes in the way we treat our planet, so that we can leave a clean and livable world for future generations.