By: Rachel Rosé
With all of the recent interest in applications of renewable energy to reduce the U.S’s carbon footprint, it is vital to understand the pros and cons of this new technology. Some Americans, more specifically the current President do not fully understand the reasons why renewable energy is such an urgent matter. They also do not comprehend why this for of energy will be better for the nation and world as a whole. Our impact on the environment as a country has the ability to inspire other countries to take apart in a global effort to protect the environment we inhabit.
1.Reduced greenhouse gas emission/ overall environmental impact
In the U.S 1/3 of the total greenhouse gasses produced are the byproduct of using coal and natural gas for energy consumption. The main offender is coal, which makes up 25% of that original portion while natural gas only makes up 6% [1]. However, even though this may not seem like a large percentage of the U.S’s total green house gas emmision the amount of CO2 produced by burning coal is huge in comparison to other energy sources. Compared to Wind and Solar energy, coal produces roughly 10x the CO2 at a rate of 1.4-3.6 pounds of CO2 per kw-hr.
This graph provided by the “Union of Concerned Scientists” is evidence that Natural Gas, Oil and Coal are the main energy sources that are polluting our air and producing the largest negative environmental impact through excess CO2. Therefore by switching to renewable energy the U.S will be reducing its Carbon foot print by a third of what it is today.
2.Positive health impact
While it is almost common sense that lowering CO2 will benefit the environment we live in, not everyone knows of the severe impact that it has on our individual health as humans. Even though by breathing we are proceeding CO2- at a much larger scale it is causing severe health issues for our country as well. Specifically with breathing, studies since the great london fog in the 1950’s have revealed a link between excess CO2 and an increase in deaths. In fact knowledge of the air quality to the point of influencing respiratory health has become so commonplace that it is often reported daily on the news alongside weather. Respiratory illnesses and other CO2 derivative health conditions “from excess CO2 and greenhouse gas costing the U.S. about 2.5-6% of its GDP”[1] which amounts to 361-886.5 billion dollars. This is mainly from the number of sick days and cost of medical coverage that could be prevented by limiting CO2 emissions.
3.Safer and more plentiful Jobs
One of the arguments against the implementation of renewable energy is the the economical cost of job losses to coal mining companies and the loss of income for many Americans. However the Union for Concerned Scientists have claimed that renewable energy is “labor intensive…more jobs are created for each unit of energy…than from fossil fuels” [1]. This could mean that even more jobs are created by the renewable energy movement than were previously supplied by coal companies. Not only does this form of energy more plentiful than fossil fuels it is also much safer for the workers who come into contact with these substances. Some of these renewable energy technologies have already been employed and as of 2011 “the wind energy industry directly employed 75,000 full-time-equivalent employees in a variety of capacities, including manufacturing, project development, construction and turbine installation, operations and maintenance, transportation and logistics, and financial, legal, and consulting services. More than 500 factories in the United States manufacture parts for wind turbines, and the amount of domestically manufactured equipment used in wind turbines has grown dramatically in recent years: from 35 percent in 2006 to 70 percent in 2011” [1].
4.Inexhaustible resources are more reliable and “cost-stable”
With the implementation of renewable energy technology the U.S wouldn’t have to worry about the fluctuations due to the changing cost of oil.”renewable energy prices are relatively stable over time. UCS’s analysis of the economic benefits of a 25 percent renewable electricity standard found that such a policy would lead to 4.1 percent lower natural gas prices and 7.6 percent lower electricity prices by 2030 [23].”[1] This is because the main factor in price of gas and coal is the availability and cost to import or harvest it. With solar power the fuel would be free and inexhaustible- it would be impossible for solar panels to drain the energy for the sun. As for those who criticize the amount of time that an adequate amount of sun actually reaches the U.S. have only to remember that the purpose for the solar panels is to provide a place to store the energy in case there are days where the sun won’t provide as much energy. There are several other types of renewables that do not solely rely on the sun and therefore a city or state could adjust which forms of technology they chose to use depending on the availability of the necessary resources.
5.Reduce dependency on foreign oil and coal burning
One of the main political issues surrounding renewable energy is a value that America should not have to rely on other countries for energy. In fact only 38% of the oil in use by the U.S is actually drilled there, and therefore 62% is imported. It is no wonder that gas prices can rise so high- sheerly because of the amount of money and energy required to retrieve oil from foreign countries. With a decreased reliance on foreign powers for oil the U.S needs a readily available and locally sourced form of energy. Renewables could be the solution- with the ability to access it from anywhere in America because it does not rely on the availability of naturally forming coal and gas.
6.A reachable goal (give example of countries who are making it work)
Despite the recent white house decision to withdraw from the paris agreement- many other countries have taken up the call to reduce carbon emisions in reaction to the urgent call to end man made climate change. Currently Sweden, Costa Rica making a goal to be carbon neutral by 2021, Nicaragua reaching for 90% renewable energy by 2020 and several other country who signed the Paris Accords are making huge strides in renewable energies and green technology. The U.S. has the ability to take inspiration from these countries- learning what has worked and what went wrong to make a world changing impact that it will benefit from for generations.
Resources:
- http://www.ucsusa.org/clean-energy/renewable-energy/public-benefits-of-renewable-power#bf-toc-5
2. http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/
3. https://joinmosaic.com/advantages-of-renewable-energy
4. http://extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/energy/solar-energy
5. http://inexhaustible-resources.com/list-of-inexhaustible-resources/
6. http://www.thealternativedaily.com/benefits-of-renewable-energy/
7. https://energy.gov/eere/education/explore-clean-energy-careers-0
8. http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/smart-energy-solutions/increase-renewables/clean-energy-green-jobs.html#.WR6UhjOZNAY
9. http://www.kyenvironmentalfoundation.org/coal-mining-health-risks.html
10. http://biomassmagazine.com/articles/3773/
11. http://foreignpolicy.com/2010/08/05/the-ministry-of-oil-defense/
12. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/02/germanys-planned-nuclear-switch-off-drives-energy-innovation
13.https://www.bundesregierung.de/Content/EN/StatischeSeiten/Schwerpunkte/Nachhaltigkeit/nachhaltigkeit-2006-07-27-die-nationale-nachhaltigkeitsstrategie.html
14. http://www.energymatters.com.au/components/renewable-energy/
15. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2016/12/shifting-to-a-clean-energy-economy-would-bring-billions-in-economic-benefits-shows-new-report.html
16. http://grist.org/article/coal-companies-charged-with-massive-violations-of-water-pollution-laws-in-k/