Should renewable energy replace fossil fuels?
Amer Sharbek
Intro- In this essay presentation I will be discussing about renewable energy replacing fossil fuels, also what this replacement can do for the whole world and what it can not. I will present two perspectives and explain them fully, I will also state counter arguments for both perspectives.
Opinion- My opinion is that renewable energy should replace fossil fuels because fossil fuels has damaged the environment causing many problems (e.g. Climate Change). I believe that if we decrease the usage of fossil fuels then there might be a way in which the environment could slightly recover from the damages made. Rising temperatures are changing weather and vegetation patterns across the globe
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Environment-
The replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy (UCSUSA, 2013) will cause a decrease in CO2 emissions which will decrease pollution. By using renewable energy sources like solar energy, we also reduce our dependence on fossil fuel gas and oil reserves, which are becoming more expensive and difficult to find. It also reduces our dependence on imported fossil fuels, improving our energy security.
Economic-
Renewable energy development outperforms fossil fuels (UCSUSA, 2013) in two important ways when it comes to driving job growth, first of all renewable energy development is relatively labour intensive, so it creates more jobs per dollar invested than fossil fuel resources and Installing renewable energy facilities uses primarily local workers, so investment dollars are kept in local communities.
Local landowners benefit from renewable energy development. When wind turbines (UCSUSA, 2013) are installed on privately owned land, the land owners typically receive payments in the form of lease, royalty, or right-of-way payments. These payments can be an important source of income for rural
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Politics-
Perspective 2: Renewable energy should not replace fossil fuels because of its many benefits.
Environment-
When fossil fuels (Oil, Coal etc.) burn, they release many pollutants into the atmosphere and they also release carbon which mixes with oxygen to make carbon dioxide (CO2). The only thing that CO2 is good for is plants in general, because plants absorb CO2 in the day to produce oxygen. Economic-
Fossil fuels are very important for the world economy as they take a large percentage of exports. Saudi Arabia (OEC) has a total of 83% of its exports of just crude petroleum, That is $526 Billion from just crude petroleum.
The total exports of crude petroleum add up to $1.84 trillion.
Crude Petroleum is the top export (OEC) of Saudi Arabia, Russia, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Norway, Venezuela, Kuwait, Nigeria and Iraq. These countries economy are made up of mostly petroleum.
There are also many jobs in the fossil fuel industry that decrease unemployment and increase tax income for many countries.
“If we do nothing, it doesn't matter how we feel. And that’s exactly what oil companies are banking on: out of sight, out of mind” (Hart, 24). In his article, 50 Miles Out, Brandt Hart explains the controversy surrounding offshore oil drilling along the east coast. This argument on whether to end or continue drilling started when new oil and gas leasing programs were made for 2017-2022, which included plans for oil and gas “exploration and development” in federal waters (Hart. 24). This plan also includes more oil drilling along American coasts, more specifically the Gulf of Mexico and east coast of the U.S.
Saudi Arabia exports, or sells, much of this oil to countries like the United States. Oil is very important to the economy of Saudi Arabia. “ (Natural Resources Helps Communities Grow, 1) So, if in Honduras natural resources were protected it will help the economy because they can be exported to other
9). Furthermore, Canada consumed 330 million tonnes of fuel in 2016, with a global energy demand of 2.5% (BP, 2017, p. 9). Subsequently, in 2016, 30% was from oil, 27% from natural gas, 27% from hydroelectric, 7% from nuclear, 6% from coal, and 3% from renewables (BP, 2017, p. 9). However, Alberta does not follow the global trend for energy consumption from similar fuels. To illustrate, in 2016, 44% came from natural gas, 39% from coal, 9% from wind power, 6% from hydroelectric, 3% from biomass fuel, and 1% from oil and diesel (Energy Alberta, 2017).
Since Texas is one of the largest producers of wind and solar power, it should encourage the use of renewable energy. If some Texas coal mines and oil drilling were to swap to wind and solar power the overall renewable energy will increase. For instance, “the increase in wind power and the retirement of almost 6,000 megawatts of coal-fired generating capacity, coal-fired power plants supplied 18 percent of state generation in 2021, down from a 36 percent share in 2011.” (U.S. Energy Information Administration, Page 4).5 Due to coal power becoming an outdated energy source, wind power can make a large contribution to the modern world all while being cheaper
The world is in need of fossil fuels. Without them, we would not have cars, airplanes, and not to mention enough energy. A lot of energy is produced from them. They are a very big support. Unfortunately, they are running out.
What do you do when you run out of gas in your car? Will you stop using your car? or Will you go to the gas station and refill your tank? Natural gas that has been pumped up from fracking nearly fuels 40% of the U.S. energy consumption. Without fracking, the price of gas would have a drastic raise from $3.25 to $11 per gallon, so consumers would have to pay about $130 or more to refill their gas tank.
There is a quote by President Barack Obama saying, “To truly transform our economy, protect our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy,” (“151 Inspiring Environmental Quotes”). He believes as many due that nonrenewable resources are harmful to all aspects of life. The energy we use now is harmful to our planet, to humans, and to animals. Scientists are taking steps to making the world a better place. They found sources that replenished naturally in a short amount of time and are less destructive in all aspects.
It is commonly known throughout human history that the energy used is burned from coal which creates biomass. During the Industrial Revolution, coal was an essential need to everyone, hence the discovery of oil as a substitute. Yet, the mass formation from the unearthing of oil causes more damage than benefits for the planet. Humanity had never seen a more compatible source in which came a higher demand for oil. As the public has urged to generate more oil, scientists theorized that fossil fuels will eventually run out, making way for a renewable energy route in the future (Mason).
Fossil fuels Fossil fuels are NOT a renewable energy resource it will finish up one day As once we 've burned them all, there isn 't any more, and our consumption of fossil fuels has nearly doubled every 20 years since 1900. This is a particular problem for Oil, because we also use it to make plastics and many other products Coal, Oil and Gas are called "fossil fuels" because they have been formed from the fossilized remains of prehistoric plants and animals.
Nowadays, we usually use the newer term called “wind turbine”.1 About four percent of the energy created in the United States comes from wind energy,2 and over 100 countries are now following in this trend and produce energy through the use of wind. This not only shows that a wind energy has great potential in the future, but also how popular it already is. It can be said that the more countries there are that using wind energy the better it is for our world. It is better because wind energy is a sustainable energy source.3 Looking back already at around 1000 AD wind power used and spread around northern Europe, starting with Holland.
Should we pursue alternate energy sources? I feel that we should pursue alternate energy sources. It would stop pollution and global warming from happening so sudden, as we have it currently in our generation. Using renewable energy means that we will never run out of the energy we need.
Instead of burning fossil fuels that will be depleted within short generation, alternative energies such as the wind turbine or solar panels needs to be implemented to sustain and care for the resources that remain. The concept of reducing our Carbon footprint in the world is the more modern way of looking at sustainable living, in which the World realises humans have not used resources wisely. By looking at the changes over the past centuries, an International network of scientists have unanimously concluded that human society is altering natural functions in three fundamental ways. And consequently, they were able to define four basic conditions that must be met if we want to maintain the environmental services that sustain human society.
these are based on fossil fuels like coal, petrol, diesel, kerosene and natural gases. Fossil fuels are obtained from biologically degradable materials such as plant and animal but undergoing million years of excessive heat, pressure, chemical and biological reactions. Thus formation of these fuels takes very long time. Also they are non-renewable sources of energy.
For instance, in Vietnam fossil fuels is the main fuels to address basic demand and for export, but in 2030 Vietnam
this damage will have devastating consequences for future human generations all other life of earth yet we continue to use fossil fuels. This is for a few reasons, firstly we are so reliant of them that it will be impossible to completely change to renewables overnight . fossil fuels are still the cheapest form of energy available so why would individual people and business chose otherwise to put money into renewable research,, well governments around world have realised the danger of global warming and they know an overnight switch is impossible so the have implemented taxes on fossil fuels and inefficient use of them and put this money into renewable energy research, also provided grants and tax breaks for people and business that are switching to renewables. these actions will slowly make renewable energy more cost effective and appealing to everyone and will move the world away from fossil fuels and towards renewable green energy sources. Similarly with stem cell research i think the potential medical benefits of mastering stem cell therapies is just too big.