Fossil Fuels to Renewable Energy

The issue that I would like to focus on is the use of fossil fuels in the US. Using fossil fuels at the rate we use them has continually hurt our planet. Many of the pollutants excreted from these fuel emissions affect nature, animals, and our planet's ozone layer.  There is also the contributing factor that the planet is running out of fossil fuels; therefore it is not a problem that can be pushed off for longer. A lthough not everyone uses fossil fuels, everyone is affected by it, making this a global challenge everyone faces.

 There is a large misconception about how fossil fuels are used, but the simple use of electricity in the home can be to blame. Many of the solutions to burning fossil fuels fall within our society. Some answers would be getting educated about the subject, doing small things to help the environment, and proactively spreading the word. In the household, things people can do to reduce the use of fossil fuels are reusable products, air drying clothes, unplugging devices when not being used, etc.  

This is not always an easy feat, considering other factors such as unequal opportunity to reduce fossil fuel use. Some families cannot provide the money to solve the problem at hand. In lower-income homes, it can be challenging to be aware of such things, integrate new renewable technology, and upgrade their homes to be more efficient. This can genuinely stop innovation and change from being furthered in society. A solution to this problem would be to possibly lower better energy solutions, such as the cost of LED lights.

 Solutions: We can both individually and collectively cut down on fossil fuels in many different ways. 

Personal ways to reduce consumption of fossil fuels:

1. Conserving energy in the homes by turning off unused electronics can help reduce the use of non-renewable energy.
2. Buying electronics that use less energy can help reduce energy waste.
3. Limiting the number of miles one takes in one's vehicle. There is a significant difference in energy use when 30 people take the bus versus everyone using personal vehicles. Taking advantage of public transport can heavily impact people's use of fossil fuels.

Large scale ways to reduce consumption of fossil fuels:

1. Large companies managing how much gas is emitted will help maintain the pollution many emit.
2. Switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy by big companies.
3. Having programs within a company to monitor fuel emissions can help keep the company accountable for its actions to the planet.
4.  use of biomethane instead of fossil fuels to power large vehicles and machinery such as trucks and truck-trailers. 

 Barriers: 

One of the largest barriers to switiching to renewable energy would have to be potential costs and public opinion.

Solar and wind would keep operations of these machines low but there is one significant downside. Maintenance costs are low but building these types of technology can become very expensive quickly. When considering these projects, companies may turn away at the original construction costs. Still, in the long hall, renewable energy could save companies time and money. In recent numbers, it is shown that the cost of these projects has gone down tremendously.

 Another significant area of trepidation with renewable energy is how the public feels about it. In many situations, using centralized power in the home is more inexpensive than resources such as solar panels. Switching to solar panels can come with a significant upfront cost that the regular middle-class family cannot afford. There is also the factor that people can rely on and fall back on fossil fuels. 

Paths Forward:

Some things that would help overcome these barriers would be considering the entire cost of operations, not just the original price to build. If people could see an overall projection of savings and its effect on the planet, renewable energy could be more accessible. I believe that the solution with the least amount of barriers would be people considering the amount of energy they use in their homes. This will not only help the planet but the cost of overusing energy. This would be easy to implement because it could save a person money, which is appealing.

Many solutions to this problem have been proposed, especially from different viewpoints. It is important to recognize others' methods because a solution could be found this way.

Societal Solutions:

There are a few ways that society could begin to remedy the issue of using fossil fuels. Using urban transport such as buses or trains could lighten the total fossil fuel emissions. as well as walking or biking to cut our fossil fuel usage completely. Making sustainable choices at a household level could heavily shift the use of fossil fuels in America.

G overnment Solutions: 

Other possible solutions could stem from government involvement. These solutions entail power plant limitations, stricter energy usage codes, and usage standardization within buildings and other structures.

Scientific Solutions:

Scientist suggests the use of the best renewable energy source, which is solar radiation energy. Although solar radiation is most prevalent there are other sources of renewable energy such as wind energy, geothermal energy, and hydropower.

While researching this subject for part of the semester, I settled on a two-part solution to the use of fossil fuels. The first part is to make all those affected by this problem aware of its origins and solutions to the problem. The second step would be government intervention and setting a standard for renewable energy use. Urban planning promotes walking and biking, which lessens the use of fossil fuels and does not cost the consumer. Another possible way is by regulating what is being sold, for example, only LED lightbulbs and electric cars and shifting to hydro and wind power. I believe government intervention is intrinsic to this process because the people may not change their ways. Considering that fossil fuels are depleting, I do not think enough people will begin implementing solutions to the problem before it is too late. This severe problem needs to be taken seriously because we only have one earth.