Tsoi 1

Alison Tsoi
Government 2
Mr. Davis
2 November 2015
Lets Live for Tomorrow
Our world thrives on energy. Whether it be turning on a light switch, starting cars, or
having a refrigerator, everything thing that we plug into ours walls needs energy. What if we
were no longer able to perform such simple tasks with the ease that weve taken for granted?
What if our world ran out of energy? The problem that we are facing is that we are running out
of energy, or the fuel to produce it. Nonrenewable energy like coal, oil, and natural gas, are the
United States number one energy resource. However, since it is nonrenewable, our indefinite
supply that we assumed we have is running low, and within one hundred years could be gone
forever (Electricity in the). Fortunately, Alternative, renewable energy like solar, wind, hydro,
and geothermal power takes advantage of Earths natural resources to provide us with and
infinite supply of clean, renewable power. The United States of America should subsidize
alternative renewable energy because our nonrenewable sources are being depleted, our
government limits the fund for research, and our planet deserves to be carbon dioxide emission
free.
In less than one hundred years, fossil fuels will no longer be a reliable; so we need to
look for an alternative source of energy. Fossil fuels, like coal, oil, and natural gas, were formed
hundreds of millions of years ago, buried deep beneath the earth. For the past two hundred years,
the fossil fuel supply has decrease dramatically because of human activity. Although fossil fuels
have proven to be an inexpensive, easy to access source of energy, the United States imports

Tsoi 2
most of these fuels from other counties. The National Academy of Medicine and Sciences
proves that [the United States is] dependent on foreign sources for two-thirds of our petroleum
supplies as well as many other resources, and the world is an uncertain place (The National
Academies). As a sovereign nation interested and invested in our freedom and independence,
why should we be reliant on other countries for our energy supply? By importing oil from other
countries, our nation creates a dependency of our own economy on the economy on other
nations. Instead of relying on imports, we should be depending energy from our own soil to meet
the growing energy needs. The demand for coal is expected to increase by 30 percent by 2030,
propelled by the rising use of electricity (Americas Energy Future). Today our standard of
living has been shaped and molded by relying on fossil for our energy. In a mere fifteen years,
we are going to need 30 percent more energy, and in that time frame, we should no longer be
reliant on coal but renewable energy. As our demand for fossil fuels grows, so does or impact on
the environment. Dr. Ernest Moniz, a nuclear physicist and the United States Secretary of Energy
states that, Wind energy is creating job opportunities for thousands of Americans and boosting
economic growthWind energy has the capacity to supply enough energy to power more than
15 million homes (Moniz). Renewable energy, like wind energy, will help provide a sustainable,
effective source of energy. It will also help our economy by creating more jobs for Americans,
reducing our dependency on foreign imports. With the capacity to supply enough energy to
power to 15 million homes, wind power could be one of the United States main sources of
energy with more funding and development. However, if the government refuses to give
renewables a chance and continues to indulge its allowances in fossil fuels, the United States
may as well look into a world without energy.

Tsoi 3
Compared to the federal subsides of fossil fuels, the United States gives less than half the
amount of money in subsides to renewable energy alternatives. Research and progression cannot
be achieved at the rate of the demand for energy and the depletion of our fossil fuel sources if we
do not adequately fund alternative energy. A study by the Environmental Law Institute shows
that in 2002-2008 72.5 dollars billion of federal subsidies went to fossil fuels while only 29.0
billion dollars went to renewable alternatives(Craig). On average, renewable energy at its raw is
going to cost more than double that of fossil fuels. Research and development has already been
done on fossil fuels, renewables are still in their infant stages. Thus, if we account for the
research and implementation needed in order properly set up a renewable energy system for the
United States, the cost of renewables is already going to be much higher than that of fossil fuels.
A study by the U.S. Energy Information Administration pointed out that, the total value of
direct federal financial interventions and subsidies in [renewable] energy markets decreased
nearly 25% between 2010 and 2013, declining from $38.0 billion to $29.3 billion (EIAIndependent Statistics). If fossil fuels are running out and we continue to give money to fossil
fuel extraction, why are we taking away almost ten billion dollars in funds from renewable
research? The United States government isnt even giving renewable energy a chance by taking
away one fourth of its funding. We must start investing in renewable research so that it can be
ready in time for the day fossil fuels are gone. Solar energy could be the solution. Solar energy
is the most abundant energy resource and can supply more than 10,000 times the world's total
energy use (Pierce). Solar energy is at an infinite supply so long as the sun radiates on our earth.
Also, solar energy has the potential to cover the worlds energy use and more alone, however due
to low amount of subsides given it is expensive. So, the United States should be transferring
funds given to fossil fuels over to renewable energy. This way renewable energy can be properly

Tsoi 4
funded and help transition the United States, to being fossil fuel, and almost completely carbon
free.
The combustion of fossil fuels to generate electricity is the largest single source of carbon
dioxide emissions in the nation. Greenhouse gases are a major threaten our environment by
destroying our ozone layer in the stratosphere and creating harmful ozone in the troposphere.
Greenhouse gases, omitted by fossil fuels, contribute to global warming, the cause of destruction
of thousands of animal habitats and species. Thousands of tons of carbon dioxide, the most
abundant greenhouse gas, is released into our atmosphere every day. The combustion of fossil
fuels to generate electricity is the largest single source of CO2 emissions in the nation,
accounting for about 37% of total U.S. CO2 emissions in 2013 (Overview of Greenhouse).
Fossil fuels have created a huge carbon footprint, or impact on Earth, and even though we cannot
get rid of what we have done, we can help reduce our future impact. The United States can help
reduce our carbon footprint by using carbon dioxide emission free electricity, also known as
renewable energy. Several projects are being done to find ways of converting captured carbon
dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial sources into useful products such as fuel, plastics,
cement, and fertilizers (Carbon Capture and). Although converting carbon dioxide into useful
materials is a good solution, the money spent on trying to fix carbon dioxide emissions could be
better spent on research for renewable energy. Solar, wind, geothermal, and tidal all emit zero
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (Palaca). By using these forms of energy we are not only
saving ourselves the extra work and money but also saving the environment as well.
Nonetheless, some people are afraid of wasting money on renewable energy because there is
no efficient way of storing renewable energy yet.

Tsoi 5
Anti-renewable energy critics make a strong point to how renewable energy is not cheap
and cannot sufficiently store energy for a long time. Although, renewable energy is used in many
industries and businesses across the U.S., in order for it to be considered for a long term solution,
it would need to be able to the store energy. Despite critics beliefs, progress and development is
being done in order to find a way to store renewables. New storage approaches include
improvements to existing lithium ion batteries and schemes to store energy as huge volumes of
compressed air in vast geologic vaults (Luoma). Techniques like storing energy in lithium ion
batteries could be the future of our nation. If funds are lacking in order to further develop and
test research like this, adequate solutions are not going to be found in time. A permeant storage
solution can only be constructed if the United States starts equalizing the money that we give to
fossil fuels to renewable energy. The National Laboratory of Renewable Energy is setting
example by trying to find a way to reuse "limbo lands"(underused, formerly contaminated sites
like landfills and abandoned mines) as sites for renewable energy-generating stations
(Renewable energy on). With these new discoveries, renewable energy could have a storage
solution and sites to start implementing energy production. In spite of all signs pointing toward
renewable energy, critics continue to push the government to spend money on fossil fuels.
Fossil Fuels are cheap (as long as its harmful environmental costs are not included in its market
price) and plentiful but mining and burning coal has a severe impact on the earths air, water, and
land (Miller 385). Everything wrong with fossil fuels can be summed up in the lines as long as
its harmful environmental costs are not included in its market price. Fossil fuels are only cheap
because of the billions of dollars in subsidies given by the United States, and the fact that there is
no environmental cost. If this tax was added to the direct cost of fossil fuels, it would help
discourage people from using and wasting fossil fuels unnecessarily. Additionally, the severe

Tsoi 6
impact of fossil fuels could be lessened by encouraging citizens to use the tax free renewable
resources.
Renewable energy is the future. Not only is renewable energy virtually carbon dioxide
free, but it will be a never ending supply of energy. Additionally, it has the potential to be a
permanent solution to our energy crisis if only it were properly funded. As human being of this
planet, it is our responsibility to take care of our Earth. We have wrecked thousands of habitats,
caused thousands of species to become extinct, misused and destroyed thousands of resources
and released billions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Every time we use electricity
as long as fossil fuels are still our main source of energy, we are slowly destroying our planet.
America, one of the leading nations of this world, shall join the race to become a fossil fuel free
nation. By implementing an environmental tax, and creating more government funding for
renewable energy and research, we can help save not only ourselves, but the entire world.

Tsoi 7
Work Cited
Websites:
America's Energy Future. Perf. Francis Slakey. Energy Video. National Academy of Sciences,
2009. Web. 22 Oct. 2015. <http://www.nap.edu/video/aef_video.html>.
"CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE FROM INDUSTRIAL SOURCES." Energy.gov. US
Department of Energy, 2015. Web. 18 Oct. 2015. <http://energy.gov/fe/scienceinnovation/carbon-capture-and-storage-research/carbon-capture-and-storage-industrial>.
Cooper, Craig, and Thomas Foulke. "Analysis of Federal Subsidies: Implied Price of Carbon."
(2010). Idaho National Laboratory, Oct. 2010. Web. 28 Oct. 2015.
<https://inldigitallibrary.inl.gov/sti/4655300.pdf>.
"EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis." U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). US
Energy Information Administration, 23 Mar. 2015. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.eia.gov/analysis/requests/subsidy/>.
"Electricity in the United States." Energy Explained, Understanding Energy. US Energy
Information Administration, 29 Apr. 2015. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=electricity_in_the_united_states>.
Luoma, Jon R. "The Challenge for Green Energy: How to Store Excess Electricity." Yale
Environment 360. Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies., 13 July 2009.
Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
<http://e360.yale.edu/feature/the_challenge_for_green_energy_how_to_store_excess_ele
ctricity/2170/>.
Moniz, Ernest, Dr. "America's Wind Industry Reaches Record Highs." Energy.gov. US
Department of Energy, 6 Aug. 2013. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.
<http://energy.gov/articles/americas-wind-industry-reaches-record-highs>.
"Overview of Greenhouse Gases." Carbon Dioxide Emissions. Epa.gov, 11 Sept. 2015. Web. 23
Sept. 2015. <http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/co2.html>.
Pacala, S. "Stabilization Wedges: Solving the Climate Problem for the Next 50 Years with
Current Technologies." Science 305.5686 (2004): 968-72. Bio Rad, 31 Jan. 2007. Web. 1
Nov. 2015.
<http://academic.evergreen.edu/z/zita/teaching/CClittell/readings/Mar07_Pacala_et_al_2
004.pdf>.
Pierce, Erin. "Top 6 Things You Didn't Know About Solar Energy." Energy.gov. US Department
of Energy, 22 June 2014. Web. 16 Sept. 2015. <http://www.energy.gov/articles/top-6things-you-didnt-know-about-solar-energy>.
"Renewable Energy on Contaminated Lands." Energy Analysis. National Renewable Energy
Laboratory, 21 Jan. 2014. Web. 31 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/sustain_re_limbo.html>.

Tsoi 8
"The National Academies." The Cost of Energy, Security . National Academics of Science
Engineering and Medicine, 2015. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
<http://needtoknow.nas.edu/energy/energy-costs/security/>.
Books:
Miller, G. Tyler, and Scott Spoolman. Living In the Environment. 17th ed. Brooks/Cole Pub,
2011. Print