303 Ashe Avenue

Raleigh NC 27606

October 18, 2016

Dear Future President,

Did you know that according to a report in 2016 by Conserve Energy Future the "United States produces 30% of the world’s waste and uses 25 % of the world's natural resources.”? It is necessary for us to find another source of reliable and clean energy so we have a backup plan. Energy use has become a daily part of our lives from transportation to using our phones. This past week in North Carolina an oil pipe burst and we lost 250,000 gallons of gasoline. Many gas stations had to put bags on their pumps because they ran out of oil and the supply and demand was way higher than usual because everyone rushed to get gas. The problem was solved within a day and gas stations had oil again. This dilemma shows that we need to have a plan for future energy loss or else everyone will panic.

Fossil fuels are a non-renewable source of energy that are made from pre-historic fossils. They are a major source of energy that we use today, but they continue to be exhausted at a faster rate. Not only will they run out soon, but they also pollute the earth. When burning fossil fuels, they will give off carbon dioxide and cause the greenhouse effect. They are the main factor of global warming today.

Global warming is the increase of the Earth’s near-surface air and ocean temperatures. Greenhouse and atmospheric gases prevent warmer air from leaving the planet. Usually, when heat enters the air it passes smoothly through the atmosphere which is called short-wave radiation, but this type of radiation is long-wave radiation which is harder to pass through. This has significant impacts on the environment and human life. For example, glacial retreat, Arctic shrinkage and worldwide sea level rise. If global warming continues as is then our environment is in danger.

Though fossil fuels definitely have their flaws, we continue to use them because of their advantages. They’re able to generate huge amounts of electricity in a single location, for the amount of energy they produce they’re very cheap (Bloomberg April 2016) and transporting them through pipes is easy. We have to stop and ask ourselves, do we really want to contaminate our environment for energy that can be provided by safer and cleaner things? “Pollution is one of the biggest killers, affecting more than 100 million worldwide." as said by Conserve Energy Future in 2016.

If we better design our communities to use a renewable source of energy like solar power or wind power, we could end up saving money in the long run. We could adjust what type of energy we use according to the land. For example, coastal areas could use hydro-power. There will be very little global warming emissions, improved environmental quality and a never ending energy supply.

We have to start using more renewable sources of energy instead of fossil fuels. One day when they run out we need to be prepared with renewable energy sources. We don’t have to wait until they run out, if we start now then we’ll be making a better environment. So how will you help us switch to an efficient and cleaner energy source?

Sincerely,

Lauren H.

Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy

Works Cited

"Energy." ToxicSaction, Toxics Action Center, 2015, toxicsaction.org/problems-and-solutions/energy. Accessed 22 Sept. 2016.

"Fossil Fuels: Their Advantages and Disadvantages." AlternativeEnergy Secret, 2003, www.alternativeenergysecret.com/fossil-fuels.html. Accessed 25 Sept.2016.

"The Hidden Costs of Fossil Fuels." Ucsusa, Union of Concerned Scientists,www.ucsusa.org/clean-energy/our-energy-choices/coal-and-other-fossil-fuels/hidden-cost-of-fossils#.V-P-mCErKM8. Accessed 22 Sept. 2016.

"An Overview of Global Warming." Geography about, About Education, 2016, geography.about.com/od/globalproblemsandissues/a/globalwarming.htm. Accessed 23 Oct. 2016.