Florida 's Energy : Addressing Climate Change

Our methods of energy generation and usage are another valuable resource that we must use responsibly if we are to protect it. According to the Florida Energy System Consortium,

The United States is the second largest producer of greenhouse gases in the world, and yet is doing very little to fix this startling statistic (Dennis). The US’ reliance upon outdated energy sources continues to harm both the environment and the economy by producing millions of tonnes of pollution every year and costing the government billions of dollars (“Fact Sheet: Clean Power Plan”). Fossil fuels have been the main energy sources in America since the industrial revolution, and it is time to make a change. Renewable energy is energy harnessed from sources like the sun, wind, or water, and has little to no negative effects on the environment (“Renewable Energy Technology Basics”). The United States needs to integrate and increase the use of these types of energy across the country, as well as implement positive environmental policies, to prevent further pollution of the earth and combat the effects of climate change.

Government has provided for the common good is planning to connect solar energy to low-income households across the country. “Thankfully, on July 7 the Obama administration announced a new initiative designed to help deploy solar power in low and moderate-income neighborhoods” (Jones 1). Clean energy immensely benefits citizens who attach solar panels on the roof of their homes, because “By producing their own clean power, they are both fighting pollution and saving money” (1). The organization “Green For All” and Environmental Protection Agency have been working together to expand solar power to more Americans, in order to protect them from harmful pollution and paying high bills. Without the U.S. government, solar companies wouldn’t have been able to take big steps in increasing solar energy. The Environmental Protection Agency has worked to protect the health of Americans as well as protecting the environment, and working with the Green For All organization demonstrates the necessity of this agency. Because it is crucial for people to have their welfare and safety protected, the U.S. government is doing a favor by planning to provide clean, solar energy to those in

Global warming is caused by the after effects of fossil fuels, what then causes greenhouse gases. Representative Chellie Pingree who is the D-ME 1st District states, “There is an incredible renewable energy resource off both coasts of this country - wind and tidal energy that can power our economy, create good paying jobs and reduce greenhouse gas pollution.” This is a present day solution for preventing global warming. We need to take advantage of nature and use it for renewable energy. This means that it can decrease foil fuels, and increase the amount of electric items such as, cars, motorcycles, tractors, snowmobiles, lawnmowers, and it can even be going as far as airplanes. In conclusion, America has to use renewable energy where ever they

Florida Public Service Commission forecasts from current trends that by 2024 the use of environmentally harmful energy sources such as coal, nuclear power, and oil will decrease (2). The use of natural gas is forecasted to rise to generate 64.73% of Florida’s energy (Florida Public Service Commission, 2). According to the forecast by Florida Public Service Commission, the use of other sources to generate energy will also decrease

Over the past decade, the floods have been striking a lot more frequently than they used to. The state of Florida is predicted to soon be completely underwater and if nothing is done to help this issue, then it will only spread and soon the entire world will be under water. Climate change has been drowned out in the US presidential primary elections (Plester). Since many Americans are aware about the issue of Climate Change, many of them also refuse to believe that it 's happening. They tend to push it away which is why it 's not the most discussed topic at presidential campaigns or debates. Climate Change, otherwise known as Global Warming, has been a growing factor in Florida and should be taken into accountability. My research proposes that the state of Florida should cut down on fossil fuels, invest in an infrastructure upgrade, and residents unplug their electronic devices whether they’re on/being used or not.

Author Lawrence M. Ling is a Project Pull Mentor’s Assistant in the Policy and Government Affairs Team of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. He is an undergraduate student at the University of California: Los Angeles who majors in Political Science, and he strongly believes that CleanPowerSF is the best solution to the growing trend of global warming.

The book is also helpful because it assists with spreading awareness that we are unlikely to solve global warming using todays methods thus preventing us from wasting more time on it. Renewable energy sources, and Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) are common propositions as solutions. However, they have their own problems. Renewable energy sources’ have problems that revolve around how they are not cheap or reliable.

In this modern fast paced world that we live in, there are many issues that are looked over, energy is one of these. As a world, we are dependant on dwindling fossil fuel supplies and take for granted electricity, oil, and gas. There are four completely renewable sources of energy around us that should be used and developed, they are: wind, growing plants, flowing water, and the sun. These sources of energy are the ones we should be tapping, because they are reliable and renewable. Harnessing the suns energy is the most certain and ultimate energy source. Looking at a brief history and some facts about solar energy, a glimpse of the future can be seen, a future not dependant on

Today, people in the United States and around the world face a changing climate that threatens our way of life. An increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather conditions poses a threat to food security, infrastructure and economic affluence. In the United States, climatologists from the United Nations project that a seven-degree Fahrenheit increase in average temperatures will cause more frequent droughts affecting agriculture in the Midwest and more severe and frequent tropical storms and hurricanes affecting major cities along both coasts (“Climate” 7). Addressing these issues will require rigorous cuts in greenhouse emissions. The implementation of a comprehensive economic policy that includes the use of cap-and-trade markets, carbon taxation, and clean energy subsidies is one step toward addressing the increasingly-critical issue of climate change.

A recent report released by the Environmental Protection Agency, titled “Climate Change in the United States: Benefits of Global Action” suggest that climate change impacts can be reduced or avoided through greenhouse gas mitigation. It focuses on the physical and economic risks of unmitigated climate change and the benefits the United States would have if they tackled the issue of climate change in a timely manner.

Specific Purpose Statement: To persuade my audience that that solar power should become the main form of alternative energy in the Unites States.

In addition, solar energy operational costs are manageable. It is free from monthly charges compared to conventional sources of energy. Solar energy does not require raw materials such as oil and coal, and once the panels are built, there will be no monthly charges. In addition, the prices of fossil fuels are increasing day by day, and this means conventional energy will be very expensive. Solar energy will remain the most capable world’s future power supply because, it is cost effective once the plants are built, and there will be no transport costs like for conventional energy sources. Therefore, solar energy is cost-effective, and will help in future energy supply, as the maintenance cost is affordable, as long as they are installed properly, and are working efficiently ( Hans, 2012). Furthermore, with the improvement and advancement of technology, it will increase its efficiency, and cost of production thus, making it more cost effective and the world’s best

Solar energy is an eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuels. Our planet has been experiencing an average increase in global temperatures. Slowly but surely our planet is deteriorating, unless we change our form of energy into a greener alternative. Deterioration of our planet may occur at a faster rate. The depletion of fossil fuels is detrimental to our environment. By substituting fossil fuels with the solar energy, our planet will benefit. These benefits include: reduced climate change, beneficial economic opportunities on both a large scale benefitting our government and on a smaller scale helping individuals decrease their energy bills, and solar energy is renewable and sustainable.

Albert Einstein, the famed physicist, once noted that “We can’t solve our problems with the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” Today’s world is faced with the dual threats of climate problems brought on by the use of fossil fuels and the economic challenge caused by the increasing scarcity and demand for those fossil fuels. It is time for society to look beyond the limited and dirty fossil fuels as the energy of choice and promote the use of the abundant renewable energy sources we are endowed with. Because the subsidies to wind and other alternative energies ultimately generate more income than their initial costs and because we continue to subsidize fossil fuels, we should modify governmental tax policy to incentivize