The Alternative energy industry in the United States has been at a steady rate of growth for the past decade, however there is still controversy over the use of renewable energies, their impact on the economy, and their impact on the environment. As controversial as the topic is, the argument boils down to a moral need to support environmental regulations, and an economical need to sustain domestic growth in the Energy industry of the United States. Mainly, the question is can alternative energy effective replace fossil fuels? There are of course arguments for both sides of this question.
The way that innovation is sought after is a prominent player in the way that policy is shaped with regards to the environment. An increase in funds for the improvement of existing technology for burning fossil fuels can be viewed in complete contrast to the increase in funds to develop new solar panel technology to decrease the United States dependence on oil and gas. As is the case with many issues in the US government the approach to this seems to fall in to two distinct categories – republican or democrat. Examples come from the Presidency of George Bush and in 2001 President Bush announced the development of “FutureGen” this was a policy that was aimed at the capture and sequestration of CO2 emissions. The aim of FutureGen was to improve
Indeed, if we are to combat global warming, of course we need to stop the rampant use of fossil fuels. In its place, the grand vision and hope is to transition our economy from relying on fossil fuels to using renewable energy sources. (This becomes an additionally pressing issue for those who are concerned with the U.S.’s “soft power” as China vies to become the world leader in clean energy.)
America should pursue alternative energy sources because “With only 5 percent of the worlds population, the United States consumes almost one-quarter (22.5%) of global energy”. (((Josef Bram, 15))) With such a small percentage of the world’s population and still one of the largest consumers of energy the U.S should be looking for new and better ways to generate energy. Currently The U.S’s energy is supplied using traditional sources. According to Canadian scientist and policy analyst Vaclav Smil “Todays energy 29% from coal, 33% from oil and gas, and 33% from soft-energy (alternative sources)” (((Smil, 47))) Most of the energy we use on a daily basis is not produced using clean methods. Some alternative energy sources that are already in place within the United Stats are wind, solar, and hydraulic.
Officials in the Obama administration are nearly ready to unveil their unprecedented regulation of the oil and gas industries by ordering the reduction of methane emissions in the United States by 40 to 45 percent within the next ten years. Such a drastic alteration would significantly change how natural gas is produced and consumed and transform the entire electric industry in the country, potentially shifting its reliance on fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy. Though methane constitutes only nine percent of emissions, far less than carbon dioxide, it has over twenty times the effect toward global warming as carbon dioxide has and is therefore important to regulate. Also, the Obama administration has initiated reductions in emission
Energy production has always been a hot topic in the United States. More specifically, Oklahoma has been on the forefront of energy production. Oklahoma is viewed as a front runner in the energy industry, and the United States is always turning to Oklahoma when in need of creating new sources of energy; an example being compressed natural gas. The United States hopes to influence the nation to climb aboard the train that leads to reliable sources of energy by generating new public policies. Many public policies have been set into motion by both governmental parties and are currently trying to authorize programs that will engender economical energy efficiency by agreeably relying on renewable energy rather than fossil fuels. There are many advantages and disadvantages to converting to fossil fuels but whether you agree or not, renewable energy is the future of the United States.
The United States refused to endorse the Kyoto Protocol, basically letting the market drive CO2 reductions to mitigate global warming, which will require CO2 emission taxation. The administration of Barack Obama has proposed an aggressive energy policy reform, including the need for a reduction of CO2 emissions, with a cap and trade program, which could help encourage more clean renewable, sustainable energy development. Thanks to new technologies such as fracking, the United States has in 2014 resumed its former role as the top oil producer in the world. In terms of oil the Keystone XL Pipeline is not in the national interest of te United States due to the large ecological impacts, as well as it being in the United States best interests to
DR. MEHUL B. SHAH GAURANG V. PATEL PROJECT INTERNAL GUIDE PROJECT EXTERNAL GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS IDP FORM ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION BLOCK DIAGRAM APPLICATION WORK PLANNING IDP FORMS ABSTRACT The increasing demand for energy, the continuous reduction in existing sources of fossil fuels and the growing concern regarding
How can the United States lessen its dependence on fossil fuels? Joan Milton Western Governor’s University How can the United States lessen its dependence on fossil fuels? Introduction The U.S obtains more than 84% of its energy from fossil fuels including oil, coal and natural gas. This is because people rely on it to heat their homes, power industries, run vehicles, manufacturing, and provision of electricity. It is apparent that the country’s transportation industry highly depends on conventional petroleum oil, which is responsible for global warming, thus threatening economic opulence and national security. Apart from that, increasing consumption of fossil fuels have elevated health problems in the state, destroyed wild places, and polluted the environment. After conducting Environmental Impact Assessment, projections showed that the world energy consumption would increase by more than 56% between 2010 and 2040. However, fossil fuels will cater for more than 80% of the total energy used in 2040. Sadly, it will be a trajectory to alter the world’s climate, as well as, weaken the global security environment. Importantly, the rate at which the US relies on fossil fuels needs to reduce since it has adverse effects on the planet’s supplies. The society needs to realize that fossil fuels are nonrenewable, thus taking millions of years to form (Huebner, 2003). Notably, the country can reduce dependency on fossil fuels by practicing energy conservation and efficiency,
Alternative energy versus fossil fuels is a very controversial issue surrounding America today. The issue is so controversial for many reasons, such as our economic dependence on fossil fuels and the possibility of global warming due to the burning of these fossil fuels we are so dependent on. Where one
The use of natural gas as an energy source, to produce electricity, is becoming more common in the United States. Due to growing concerns regarding global climate change and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG); the country’s dependence on foreign oil; and the fears that conventional natural gas supplies could be depleted within the next decade, the United States has begun developing alternative energy sources. Most critics would agree that clean alternative energy is the ideal source of electricity, but many argue about the available technology and efficiency of these sources. Many believe extracting unconventional natural gas sources would greatly benefit the United States in terms of limiting foreign oil dependency and providing a clean
Energy is the ability for something to do work, create heat, or emit light. By this definition, energy can be anything from a sandwich to uranium. However, for the sake of simplification, this essay will focus on the United States’ consumption of fossil fuels (oil, coal, and gas), which constitute eighty-six percent of American energy (Lehrman 2). That is a lot of energy, however it becomes an even larger amount when taken into consideration that even though America accounts for only five
In “Our Energy Challenge” by Bill Mckibben explains energy is crucial part of our economy, and development and energy-using have connected each other very tight since 18th century when people discovered coal to generate power. The author goes on to say energy using of individuals has doubled because of the industrial evolution, also problems caused by coal-fired power plants became more evident. He mentions the greatest example of it now is Beijing, China. He further states that peak oil and global warning are the biggest threat to our economy because our energy sources, including oils and coal, are limited and it has been declining very fast, so there would have enormous recession to bring the oil price down. In his last argument, he sites
Coal and natural gas are the United States’ main fossil fuels used as energy sources. These fossil fuels both contain mixtures of hydrocarbons, which is a chemical compound of carbon and hydrogen (Olah, 2005). Currently, fossil fuels provide eighty-five percent of commercial energy, such as businesses, worldwide and
The United States must realize the trend, and act accordingly to maintain soft power. With the “Go Green” campaign, many corporations actively try shifting towards renewable technologies with enhanced innovation. Kearns, a current director of Domestic Energy Policy at the Center for American Progress, cites how “technological progress often helps create opportunities for emissions reductions and economic growth”, which “have created opportunities for customers to reduce energy use while saving money”. Reducing energy leads to better allocation of energy, to increase energy efficiency. Energy efficiency is key to the success of the program, because the system provides safe economic landing for a radical change from oil-market to the renewables-market. As time progresses in the next five to ten years, the shift of fossil fuel based economy to renewables will in many ways damage the international oil market, but the plan provides gradual develop to act as safe cushion for next future generations to come. Combination of privatization of renewable companies like Exxon and BP through the public voluntary programs, the United States can better produce affordable, and effective distribution for citizens to access.