Climate Change: An Environmental Analysis

Imagine a world where the local wildlife are decimated because of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to waste byproduct disposed of by factories and leaking of oil reserves into rivers. The air we breathe is no longer safe, and everyone must wear oxygen masks. There is no longer access to clean water, and citizens must resort to drinking out of dirty water sources. The energy resources we use today and have used since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution are continually wreaking havoc on our planet. They are terrible for animals, humans, and the atmosphere alike. The debate on climate change has impacted the environmental activist community heavily. They believe the toxins released into the atmosphere by fossil fuels

“PV [photovoltaic, a type of solar technology] electricity contributes 96 to 98 percent less greenhouse gases than electricity generated from 100 percent coal” (Olson 1). This is an amazing statistic that should automatically be considered when looking at the cleanliness of solar energy. After all, it is energy coming solely from the sun to be converted into usable power. Light being sent from the sun to earth presents little to no risk of greenhouse gas exposure going past the ozone layer of the atmosphere. The ozone layer is what protects us from harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. The average solar panel produces around 1,000 watts of energy daily (Zientara 1). With the average energy usage per home being at 30,000 watts daily (Richardson 1), this would mean someone considering the switch to solar energy would need 30 solar panels for their home to be able to use appliances as normal. While it may seem impractical for the everyday person, it would be a great deal for someone with a lot of land. Energy bills would be greatly reduced, and they would have the satisfaction of knowing they are making a difference. Even if solar panel cost and their availability of space looks like a minor issue now, they will become cheaper, more energy efficient, and maybe even smaller to save room for more in the near future. Solar energy is gaining attention all over, as is an even lesser

As it’s prefix suggests, hydroelectricity is produced by the force of water. This means there is no chance of pollution to the atmosphere like there is with dangerous energy sources like natural gas and coal (energy.gov). This process of obtaining energy is not harmful to the atmosphere, unlike the ways fossil fuels are gathered. Due to the fact that toxic fossil fuels are absent in the process of turning the force of water flow into sustainable energy, hydroelectricity is a source of energy that people should be more aware of. “In addition to a sustainable fuel source, hydropower efforts produce a number of benefits, such as flood control, irrigation, and water supply.” (energy.gov). The efficiency of this type of power is almost unsurpassable since it can provide so many positive contributions to society. Not only does it make it efficient, it also makes hydropower undeniably reliable. Reliability is something that is rather uncommon when it comes to the current types of energy we have to settle for. Hydroelectricity is one of the cleanest and most efficient alternatives to the types of energy we use