Renewable Energy
The use of renewable energy is crucial for our environment and future. We cannot rely on fossil fuels and nuclear energy for much longer.
Dear Next President,
One of the biggest challenges we face today is an energy crisis. However, the problem isn’t producing the energy, but how to produce it. Using non-renewable energy is not going to help our country in the future. The pollution that fossil fuels and the waste that nuclear energy leaves behind is not worth the energy that these practices create. By using those types of energy, the environment that we live in will continue to be adversely affected. The pollution will eventually lead to acid rain, climate change (Greenhouse Effect), and air pollution. However, this dilemma can be fixed one step at a time.
According to the Energy Information Administration in 2015, of all the energy our country produced, only 11% was renewable. On the other hand, 80% of the our energy production was fossil fuels; the last 9% was nuclear energy. Renewable energy production continues to increase, but this increase is far too slow. The supply of non-renewable energy continues to decrease. The question is not if we will run out, but when. Looking at the data from The World Factbook, the current supply of oil, gas, and coal will run out by 2081. I know that between now and then more reserves will be found, but that will only slow the inevitable. When they run out, we need to be ready.
My proposal to you comes from a Chinese proverb, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” We may be behind where we should be on renewable energy, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try today. There are many ways that we can improve the production of renewable energy. One way is to further incentives and tax credits for homeowners and businesses looking at buying solar or wind generators. Furthermore, you could help promote spending on research for creating more efficient and smaller forms of these generators, which will allow us to produce more energy while using less land. The main priority is getting the ball moving today, and all it takes is the first step. Will you make it?
Sincerely,
Matt A.