The world was just hit with the devastating news that one of our current living great wonders, the Great Barrier Reef, was pronounced almost dead due to global warming. As the a citizen who has a whole lifetime of moments ahead of me on this planet, i'd like to ask you to do everything to your extend to expand the country's use of renewable energy. According to Renewable Energy World, right now, only 13.4% of Americans use renewable energy everyday consciously. It would be a great relief to the world as a whole if we could raise the percent of renewable resources used every day up to 50%- I know, big jump; but we could do it, especially with you as our president.

To raising knowledge of renewable energy it would be an important resource to use media, news reports, commercials, billboards, etc. to expand people's awareness on what our environment would look like 20 years from now if we continued to use oil, and other non-renewable energy sources to drive our day-to-day lives. We as the government need to expand the usage of biofuels, solar, and wind energy on public property such as sidewalks and streets. For example, if people walk through the street everyday to work or school, they may see a billboard encouraging the use of solar power and seeing that trashcans, street lights, and street lamps are also using solar power. I know what you’re thinking- where would we get the money for this? Well, it would take time. Taxes that we pay every month would have to be saved up at some proportion and slowly we would add these street essentials starting in more populated cities, and ending in cities with less population.

A lot of places have problems with either lack of solar power (sunlight), lack of wind, or lack of money. Due to these boundaries, the areas with the most solar power can transfer some of their energy to places who can’t afford or perceive this energy. Granted, the whole world can't use 100% of solar power but we do need to use way more renewable energy then we are using right now.

Citizens need to be more aware of the damage they are causing every day by using oil for their cars, throwing away recyclables, factories releasing huge amounts of Carbon Dioxide, and even simpler thing such as cell phone usage. Not only do we need to increase our use in solar energy, we also need to decrease our use in wood to build houses and replace this with bricks. The more wood we are using for our homes, the less wood wildlife has for their natural homes. This goal may be hard and expensive, but the result is a matter of existence of humans or death to humanity.

The overall goal for this change would to increase our time on this Earth. If we continue to grow our electricity and improve our technology as fast as we are, our living situations are going to be unhealthy for all of us. I hope things change soon.

I hope you understand,

Nicole Scheese

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2004/02/renewable-energy-can-save-great-barrier-reef-10595.html

http://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=renewable_home

http://instituteforenergyresearch.org/topics/encyclopedia/renewable-energy/