Gonzalez 1

J.J. Gonzalez
Mr. Davis
Government 1
25 October 2016
Alternative Energy
All energy has an impact in our environment. Unfortunately, fossil fuels have a more
harmful impact to our environment. Fossil fuels consists of coal, oil, and natural gas while
renewable energy is used from our natural resources, such as wind, solar, hydropower, and
biomass. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide as well as other gases that trap heat in our
atmosphere, which plays a part to global warming. Shifting towards renewable energy and
away from fossil fuel creates a better environment for our future generations. In order to create
this environment, we need to increase funding to alternative energy projects because using
alternative energy would help reduce climate change, operations would cost less and only
require low maintenance, and is economically beneficial.
Using renewable energy will help reduce climate change by releasing less carbon
dioxide into our atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is produced from the energy we use from fossil
fuel sources. Renewable energy sources will reduce the use of fossil fuels and oil reserves.
The oldest renewable energy source is biomass, which is organic animal and plant material and
waste. Biomass resources include grass crops, trees, and agricultural, municipal, and forestry
wastes. [...] Biomass energy has many environmental benefits when compared with fossil-fuel
energy. It contributes little to air pollution, as it releases 90 percent less carbon dioxide than do
fossil fuels (Myers). Biomass might be the oldest alternative energy sources we use, but its
very effective. Releasing 90 percent less carbon dioxide is a huge difference from using fossil
fuel in helping to reduce climate change. Burning fossil fuel affects the air we breathe.
Beyond finances, there are serious health consequences to our dependence on fossil fuels. The
burning of oil, gas and coal to fire power plants and cars and trucks are the biggest sources of
air pollution in the U.S. This pollution is responsible for increased cases of asthma and other
breathing problems, as well as premature deaths among the most vulnerable (EDITORIAL).
There is only one Earth that we know of and this is the only air we breathe. The outcomes of

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breathing polluted air are not good to our health. With renewable energy, there would be less
pollution and would decrease cases of asthma and other breathing problems. The ecological
necessity of using solar energy results first and foremost from the increasingly more evident
threat to our climatic system caused by carbon dioxide as the end product of all the combustion
processes involving carbon-based fuels (Cozic 101). The buildup of gas in our atmosphere
should increase our caution and steps to utilize new renewable energy sources. The burning of
fossil fuels is creating carbon dioxide and affecting our environment negatively. Moving
towards renewable energy would benefit our environment and the way we live our lives.
The cost of renewable energy technology has declined and is predicted to decline even
more. Building renewable facilities may cost upfront investments, but once they are built, they
will function at very low cost while the fuel is free. THE NSW government has promised to
triple the amount of energy generated by wind turbines and solar panels in NSW over the next
eight years at no extra cost to the public. Its draft "renewable energy action" plan confirms its
commitment to a 20 per cent renewable energy target by 2020, up from about 8 percent today,
but claims this can be done mainly with money from private investor (Ben). Being able to
triple the amount of renewable energy is a huge amount compared from before and having the
public pay no extra cost is a big deal. Being able to receive money from private investors will
also benefit the public by not having them pay. Renewable energy has become the most
cost-effective way to generate electric power for hundreds of millions of people worldwide who
are not on the grid, a new IRENA policy brief reveals. Renewable energy has also become the
least-cost option for extending grid supply in areas with suitable resources, such as sun and
wind. The findings serve as a wake-up call to policy-makers on the declining cost of
renewables (Renewable Power). Renewable energy is the most cost-effective way to generate
electricity to hundreds of millions of people not just in the U.S. but worldwide as well. Having
the ability to keep renewable energy prices low is good for the public.
Funding alternative energy projects will create more stable jobs which will benefit our
future.

These jobs will remain for a long time and will help decrease the amount of people

living in poverty. The global renewable energy industry employed more than 7.7 million
people, directly and indirectly, in 2014, an increase of 18% on the figure reported last year, the

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International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) said in a report released on Tuesday (Aii
Data). The amount of people that were employed is an enormous amount of people being
employed. This was two years ago, imagine how many people are employed in the year of
2016.

If renewable energy sources begin to produce a higher percentage of energy in West

Virginia, new jobs would be created, and health conditions, particularly in poor and black
neighborhoods, would improve, according to a new report from the state chapter of the
NAACP. [...] Patterson predicts renewable energy sources -- including solar, wind and
geothermal -- could "generate at least 25 percent of our power and create 1.9 million jobs
[nationally] by 2030." (Nyden) Creating jobs would allow these poor people to make a living
and improve their health conditions. This would be great for the poor neighborhoods.
Renewable energy jobs are the future and they will decrease the unemployment rate and help
shape our environment for future generations.
Although renewable energy is free and limitless, there is a concern that there will be a
lack of supply if the weather doesnt meet the needs of these renewable energy. In the event
of weather that doesnt produce these kinds of climate conditions renewable energy sources lack
the capacity to make energy. Since it may be difficult the generate the necessary energy due to
the unpredictable weather patterns, we may need to reduce the amount of energy we use
(Advantages). Weather patterns are unpredictable. One day it could be raining all day, but the
next day its sunny. When the weather doesnt produce the right amount of supply, the
renewable energy sources will lack the capacity to make energy. Wind and solar energy are
considered intermittent and therefore unpredictable because their electrical output depends on
environmental conditions: the speed of the wind and the amount of sunlight striking a solar
panel (Energy Reliability). This means we need energy sources that provide backup, to ensure
electricity demand can be met when there is no sun or wind. The lack of supply from the
weather could be a problem to renewable energy projects.
To ensure that we have a better environment for future generations, we need to increase
funding to alternative energy projects because using alternative energy would help reduce
climate change, operations would cost less and only require low maintenance, and is
economically beneficial. We need to do our best to improve the world we live in. What would

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our children and our children childrens think of us if we didnt do anything to help our planet?
They would think, why would they do this to us? Why would they leave us a planet that
isnt livable anymore? We need to make this planet the best it could be for our children and
our children's children. The first step is to use renewable energy. We need to make this world a
better place.

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Work Cited
Cozic, Charles P. Global Resources: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 1998.
Print.
Aii Data Processing, Ltd. "Renewable energy jobs reach 7.7 million globally in 2014, IRENA
says." SeeNews Renewables 20 May 2015: Points of View Reference Center. Web. 18
Oct. 2016.
http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ez.ccclib.org/src_ic/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=d1dbe0e9-3b15
-48d4-b0da-961a8fd008a4%40sessionmgr4009&hid=4109&bdata=#AN=DADPS
NR1500792&db=pwh
"Advantages and Disadvantages of Renewable Energy - Conserve Energy Future."
ConserveEnergyFuture. N.p., 20 May 2014. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-renewable-en
ergy.php
Ben Cubby - ENVIRONMENT, EDITOR. "Renewable energy to rise without cost to public."
Sydney Morning Herald, The 08 Sept. 2012: 9. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 18
Oct. 2016.
http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ez.ccclib.org/src_ic/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=d1dbe0e9-3b15
-48d4-b0da-961a8fd008a4%40sessionmgr4009&hid=4109&bdata=#AN=SYD-66
IOR6JNDVS1B3KH24K1&db=pwh
"EDITORIAL: Energy subsidies aren't just for renewables, fossil fuels get the lion's share."
Bangor Daily News (ME) 19 Feb. 2015: Newspaper Source. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ez.ccclib.org/src_ic/detail/detail?vid=6&sid=d1dbe0e9-3b15
-48d4-b0da-961a8fd008a4%40sessionmgr4009&hid=4109&bdata=#AN=2W628
34956445&db=pwh
"Energy Reliability." EDF Energy. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
https://www.edfenergy.com/future-energy/challenges/reliability
Myers, Alice. "Renewable Energy." Salem Press Encyclopedia Of Science (2016): Topic
Overviews 6-12. Web. 18 Oct. 2016

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http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ez.ccclib.org/src_ic/detail/detail?sid=d1dbe0e9-3b15-48d4-b
0da-961a8fd008a4%40sessionmgr4009&vid=8&hid=4109&bdata=#AN=894081
65&db=t6o
Nyden, Paul J. "More renewable energy jobs would improve black neighborhoods, report says."
Charleston Gazette, The (WV) 17 July 2014:Newspaper Source. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ez.ccclib.org/src_ic/detail/detail?vid=10&sid=d1dbe0e9-3b1
5-48d4-b0da-961a8fd008a4%40sessionmgr4009&hid=4109&bdata=#AN=2W64
064836221&db=pwh
"Renewable Power Costs Continue To Fall." Arabia 2000 (2012): Points of View Reference
Center. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ez.ccclib.org/src_ic/detail/detail?vid=13&sid=d1dbe0e9-3b1
5-48d4-b0da-961a8fd008a4%40sessionmgr4009&hid=4109&bdata=#AN=6FI37
49187385&db=pwh