Lesson 67: Strategic Issues
In this lesson, we will talk about renewable energy and the importance of
moving away from the use of fossil fuels. We will also look at what is being
done to increase the use of renewable energy in the United States. Finally, we
will learn about how natural gas, coal, and nuclear power could be used to fill
in the gaps of producing energy from renewable sources.
Renewable Energy is energy that comes from
natural, renewable sources such as sunlight, wind and water. In 2011, renewable
energy provided 9.4% of US primary energy needs and 12.6% of electric power
generation.
President Obama called for 80% of the nation's electricity to be generated from
clean energy or non-fossil fuel by 2035. Worldwide, renewable energy powers 16%
of energy use and 20% of electricity. The UN has called for a reduction of
fossil fuel use of 80% by 2050.
Fossil fuels are fuels derived from
fossils such as oil and coal. The use of fossil fuels has created too much
carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, in the atmosphere and has contributed to
global climate change and the trapping of heat in the atmosphere known as
global warming. This has led to rising global temperatures and sea levels that
affect all living life. If the temperature goes up by even 1 degree Celsius in
an area, it renders the climate in that area inhospitable for some plants and
animal life. With temperatures constantly increasing due to global warming, the
effects would be catastrophic.
Fossil fuel use and industrial production also pollutes the air and causes poor
health and fatalities. Leaking oil supplies have decimated fish populations and
contaminated the soil.
Fossil fuels are also limited in supply and
cause us to
be dependent on foreign countries for a daily supply. These countries are
also at war with each other, making our dependence volatile.
President Obama pushed for renewable energy use and to build infrastructure
around this with the ambitious goal of reaching 80% renewable energy use by
2035. The time frame is important to prevent climate change and the destruction
of species and habitats.
It took 70 to 100 years to build the current infrastructure for our fossil fuel
economy. This happened with government subsidies at a rate of $98 billion per
year from 2002-2010 alone. Building up clean energy infrastructure to replace
this will require government support.
Venture capitalists and
some states like California are building renewable energy standards.
In addition to renewable energy, there are
other energy sources such as natural gas, coal and nuclear power that can be
used. Natural gas is not harmful like fossil fuel production and is becoming
more available through better technology methods. Natural gas can be used to
fill in the gaps in generating electricity with renewable energy.
Coal has been a source of energy since the Industrial Revolution but production
is dirty and harmful to both people and the environment. Coal can be used only
if the carbon dioxide generated is captured and sequestered. This process is
expensive.
Nuclear power also generates energy and does not produce carbon dioxide.