Sumner 1

The world today relies on vast amounts of fossil fuels to power their lives. Peoples lives
would absolutely be backwards if it was not for fossil fuels. From the Alarm that wakes
everyone up, to the vehicle that one takes on their daily commute, and to the phone that manages
their entire life, all of which is powered from fossil fuels believe it or not. Although fossil fuels
have turned simple life into luxury, there are several setbacks from its consumption. As most
know, emissions from ignited fossil fuels give off CO2, what most know as greenhouse gas, into
our atmosphere. Inevitably, the greenhouse gas swells into the atmosphere and reaches the ozone.
An abundance of these gases are said to gradually morph our climates on a worldwide scale,
eventually making the earths atmosphere extreme to live on. The notice of these polluting
emissions has set off a new age of energy. Through the analysis of fossil fuels, many will agree
that if the use is not eventually controlled, then the planet will become unstable environmentally.
A popular answer to this issue would be renewable energy. But this answer carries many
questions and problems within its self; Questions which deal with green energys sustainability
and its effect on the economy.
Carbon based gasses behave in a way where heat from the sun becomes trapped within it,
inevitably becoming trapped within our atmosphere. When there is enough carbon based gasses
its effect becomes dramatic in a way that it turns our earth in to an oven. Vast amounts of carbon
gases work against what the ozones purpose is, to filter out the fatal rays from the sun. Carbon
gasses continuously increase its ratio within the earths atmosphere as earths population
continues to consume fuels like coal and petroleum. In 2013, about 87% of the energy that the
world consumed came from fossil fuels, a figure that--remarkably--was unchanged from 10 years
before. This roughly divides into three categories of fuel and three categories of use: oil used
mainly for transport, gas used mainly for heating, and coal used mainly for electricity. (Matt

Sumner 2

Ridley 1). The issue is not carbon gasses. The issue is societys reliance on fossil fuel powered
energy. Renewable energy once played a large role in the world, though that was before an
availability of petroleum and coal came about. Fossil Fuels were cheaper and had a greater
output than renewable energies like wind, solar, and hydroelectric; ultimately turning the world
to fossil fuels. When a business has the options of using fossil fuels or clean renewable energy,
they generally choose fossil fuels for the reason that it makes the company the most money. In
order to break the peoples reliance of fossil fuels is to have the renewable resources out price
fossil fuel prices.
Just within the last two decades, a notice in carbon emissions has inspired greater action
on the issue in politics. Politicians have hypothesized that turning to renewable energy such as
solar and wind would replace a sizable fraction of the energy we receive with the consumption of
fossil fuels. With sweeping hype and substantial amounts of backers, solar panels and wind
turbines are present in many cities around the United States. From wind power in Minnesota to
solar farms in Nevada, the U.S. is building a new nation that will run on clean renewable energy.
Today the U.S. generates three times as much wind power, and 20 times as much solar power as
we did in 2008. And since the beginning of 2010, the average cost of a solar electric system in
the U.S. has dropped by half. (Gina McCarthy). Now the big question is How long will this
continue and at what rate? Well, there is speculation that this recent boom in renewable energy
is due to tax breaks and subsidies in certain areas in the U.S., meaning that it is affordable for
people in these areas. Fears about what will happen when the tax breaks decrease are fueled by
an unfortunate reality: in most locations and under most conditions, unsubsidized solar power is
still far too expensive to compete with other sources of electricity. (David Rotman). The
resources of renewable energy are low in price for the reason that the government wants it to be

Sumner 3

affordable for the population. Behind the subsidies, solar power produces energy at a much
higher cost than other forms of energy resources like natural gas. Meaning, solar power is
currently not cost efficient.
Though, renewable energy is costly, it does not mean its production and research should
halt. In order for clean renewable energies to become cost effect is through the research and
studies of them. The more research that is put towards a renewable resources technology, the
closer the world is at mastering an affordable source of power that may eventually produce
enough power to where we may turn away from fossil fuels almost entirely. The start of the
renewable energy era has sparked a wave of numerous new jobs that are continuing to build up.
The U.S. solar industry is creating jobs 10 times faster than the rest of the U.S. economy
every major U.S. automaker offers electric vehicles. And since 2009, the American auto industry
added more than 250,000 jobs. (Gina McCarthy). A boost in job production means a boost in
the economy, ultimately advancing more into studies in energy. Already these jobs have
innovated new concepts of products like cars, light bulbs, and how energy is consumed all
together. Todays cars in the United States average about twenty five to thirty five miles per
gallon, in comparison to cars around the eighties that ranged between ten to twenty miles per
gallon. Not only does energy efficiency help out the environment, it also benefits the consumers
pockets. Consumers are saving more than $62 billion a year while avoiding carbon dioxide
emissions equivalent to the output of nearly 50 million automobiles. That's the energy used in
almost 21 million homes. (Dr. Kathleen Hogan). Consumers urge to save money, so knowing
that the product pays for itself will result in more sales of that product as well as other products
going the energy efficient route. When society chooses to shift towards renewable/energy
efficient technologies on their own, then that is when the clean renewable era will prosper.

Sumner 4

Through the worlds advancements in technology with renewable energy resources and
power efficiencies, green energy has proven to be appropriate in todays age as well as the near
future. Though, forms of the energy has proven to be unsustainable economically, a risk reward
payout is present in the matter. As jobs and new technologies form through the funding of this
concept, it will pay for itself along with benefiting current generations and the innumerable
generations ahead of it. As of today renewable energy only counts for a small fraction of the
United States energy source, but by 2050 it is predicted to power nearly half of the nation. Once
the U.S. makes it to this point, other nations will soon follow, naturally creating a green planet.