Christopher Bernstein

Professor Giambanco

English 170

9 March 2023

The Benefits of Renewable Energy

As time continues humans consume more and more energy every day. Most of this energy comes from nonrenewable sources like fossil fuels which are not only unsustainable but are detrimental to the Earth. Humans will not be able to last on these resources so we must switch to a more renewable lifestyle. Not only would this help keep the environment clean, but it would also improve air quality and allow the Earth to last for future generations. Even if fossil fuels were renewable, they still produce a great deal of carbon emissions and pollute the world in the process of their use. Renewable energy is a sustainable source that comes from the Earth’s natural resources such as solar, wind, and geothermal. These energy sources produce little to no pollution and can give the world a more reliable power source, so humans can sustain life on a thriving planet. If humans continue to use fossil fuels as their main source of energy, Earth will continue to be polluted, and eventually there will be no source of energy; humans should switch to renewable energy because it is beneficial for the environment and is more resourceful then other energy sources.

As humans burn more fossil fuels the Earth takes the impact. The burning of fossil fuels causes global warming due to the greenhouse effect; a process that occurs when CO2 is trapped inside the earth’s atmosphere making it more difficult for heat to dissipate out of the atmosphere. In the article “Depletion of fossil fuels and anthropogenic climate change—A review,” authors Höök and Tang discuss how over time humans will need to mine for more fossil fuels and other non-renewable sources to keep up with the energy consumption we will be experiencing due to the worlds ever increasing population (Hook). As the world’s population increases, so does the need for more energy, in turn making society burn more fossil fuels to keep up. More fossil fuels being burned will increase the effects of global warming. Thus, more reliable green energy sources like wind or solar will need to be considered, as they will never be depleted and will not contribute to the greenhouse effect. Additionally, there needs to be government policies to encourage the switch. Major corporations are not enticed to switch over since green energy is not currently large enough to sustain them; making the switch effectively will allow major sources of fossil fuel emissions to be cut.

A better alternative that could help save our future would be a switch to a more renewable energy source. This can come from solar, wind, or geothermal, which are all energy sources that the Earth produces naturally and do not release dangerous pollutants such as the CO2 emitted by fossil fuels. The article “Setting the Record Straight About Renewable Energy” shows that “generating 35% of electricity using wind and solar in the western U.S. would reduce CO2 emissions by 25-45%” (Tierney). The use of solar and wind energy will lower the amount of fossil fuels being burned for energy which in turn helps lower emissions of dangerous gases and byproducts of fossil fuels. As renewable energy continues to be integrated into society, CO2 emissions will continue to decrease. The article also states, “solar and wind farms have dominated new power plant builds in the U.S. in recent years, while fossil fuel plants—particularly coal-fired plants—continue to be retired at record pace” (Tierney). This quote demonstrates the rise in renewable resources due to the benefits they provide to the environment and the decreasing need for fossil fuels. The United States government continues to invest in the development of clean energy with a large portion of funds in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act being allocated to the development of green energy and improving energy infrastructure. Additionally, the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act further invested in clean energy development. The United States’ focus on developing clean energy and improving energy infrastructure demonstrates the importance of reducing fossil fuel emissions as despite the lower costs of continuing to develop fossil fuel-based energy sources the world’s largest economy sees the long-term value in protecting our environment and therefore creating long term sustainability.

When we use fossil fuels, it is not only detrimental to the environment, but also to the future generations. The burning of fossil fuels causes toxic gases to be released into the air, which can have harmful effects on children in the womb, including cognitive defects and breathing issues at birth that can persist throughout the child’s entire life. The article “Pollution from Fossil-Fuel Combustion is the Leading Environmental Threat to Global Pediatric Health and Equity: Solutions Exist” states, “fossil-fuel combustion by-products are the world’s most significant threat to children’s health and future and are major contributors to global inequality and environmental injustice” (Pedrera). The burning of fossil fuels is not only destructive to the environment; it is just as harmful to the people who have not stepped foot on it yet. Pedrera continues that “studies have shown that low-income communities and communities of color in the US experience disproportionately high exposure to particulate air pollution.” The disproportionate effect air pollution has on low-income communities and communities of color highlights the need to move away from fossil fuels especially in cities where social injustices have forced many marginalized groups to live in close proximity to the health hazards of fossil fuel energy plants. The health hazards of living in proximity to a fossil fuel burning plant further demonstrate the need for clean energy that can be built in residential areas without impacting the health of nearby residents. The impact that fossil fuels have on our future and current generations is clear and how they are damaging us slowly over time.

With the modern era becoming dependent on electrical power, there has been a push to have a consistent source of power. Fossil fuels currently amount to over 80% of all electricity potential (Höök). This reliance on fossil fuels is detrimental to all living beings on the planet. Carbon emissions have been consistently rising since the industrial revolution and have seen a major increase with the rise of the private automobile. Beyond the idea that the fossil fuels we consume today, there is a moment where it is not financially viable to continue using (Höök). The viability of clean energy is also seen in government policies, where they encourage landowners to install renewable energy sources with money installments. It is also becoming cheaper and cheaper to install these renewable sources of energy (Tierney).

The burning of fossil fuels does not only affect humans through air pollution. Carbon emissions released from the burning of fossil fuels are also detrimental to the environment in negative ways such as acid rain. Acid rain is formed by the abundance of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. When acid rain falls over lakes or rivers, it causes dangerous metals such as aluminum, to be released from the ground and seep into the bodies of water. These metals change the pH of the water which causes plants and animals in the ecosystem to suffer. As stated in “The Effects of Acid Rain” by United States Environmental Protection Agency:

The more acid that is introduced to the ecosystem, the more aluminum is released. Some   types of plants and animals are able to tolerate acidic waters and moderate amounts of        aluminum. Others, however, are acid-sensitive and will be lost as the pH declines.

As more acid rain is produced, more of our lakes and rivers will be damaged as well as our plant life. Acid rain affects plant life causing trees to decay and not be able to absorb enough sunlight to survive winter temperatures. A quote from the same article states “at high elevations, acidic fog and clouds might strip nutrients from trees’ foliage, leaving them with brown or dead leaves and needles” (Effects of Acid Rain). Acid rain is not only disrupting the homeostasis of ecosystems, but it is also harmful to the organisms that should be contributing to cleaner air quality.

An opposing view of renewable energy believes that renewable energy is a waste of our money, and it would be more cost efficient to rely on nonrenewable sources. Additionally, the author talks about nonrenewable sources and how they are more controlled in thermal plants and more accessible on a worldly scale (Martins). Fossil fuels and other nonrenewable sources also dominate most of the world’s energy sources and they produce a lot of money for our economy. A quote from “Path to sustainable energy consumption: The possibility of substituting renewable energy for non-renewable energy” states “globally, energy consumption profile is largely dominated by fossil fuels with non-renewable energy sources accounting for as high as 84% of the total energy mix in 2019.” This article believes that since the world is already getting most of its energy from nonrenewable sources, the switch to green energy would be too expensive, and green energy would not be able to compensate for the amount of energy fossil fuels produce.  Although there are positives to fossil fuels including, more efficient energy production, and an optimized burning of fossil fuels. D,espite these positives attributes, burning fossil fuels causes air pollution, detrimental impacts on the environment and its organisms, and is harmful to future generations.

Despite the regular burning of fossil fuels, the recognition by the public is low in relation to the detrimental damage it brings to the environment. Since people are not directly burning fossil fuels, they do not feel responsible for the damage being done to Earth. Alternative fuels and power sources offer a viable alternative to the burning of fossil fuels. A global shift to green energy would allow humanity to see a healthier, greener planet. With rivers like the Amazon River and the Nile River, there are acidifications caused by acid rains that are detrimental to the local environments. Both of these rivers are marvels of the world, and we are depleting them of their natural beauty with our greed for cheap and quick energy. We must convert in a quick and efficient manner. Will historians even be there to study our times?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work Cited

“Effects of Acid Rain.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 24 June 2022, https://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects-acid-rain.

Höök, Mikael, and Xu Tang. “Depletion of Fossil Fuels and Anthropogenic Climate Change—A Review.” ScienceDirect, Elsevier, 8 Nov. 2012, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421512009275?via%3Dihub.

Martins, Florinda. “Analysis of Fossil Fuel Energy Consumption and Environmental Impacts in European Countries.” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 13 Mar. 2019, https://doi.org/10.3390/en12060964.

Perera, Frederica. “Pollution from Fossil-Fuel Combustion Is the Leading Environmental Threat to Global Pediatric Health and Equity: Solutions Exist.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 23 Dec. 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5800116/.

Tierney, Susan, and Lori Bird. “Setting the Record Straight About Renewable Energy.” World Resources Institute, 12 May 2020, https://www.wri.org/insights/setting-record-straight-about-renewable-energy.

Bello Mufutau Opeyemi, Bello Mufutau, “Path to Sustainable Energy Consumption: The Possibility of Substituting Renewable Energy for Non-Renewable Energy.” Energy, Pergamon, 5 Apr. 2021, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544221007684?via%3Dihub