Whether we should depend on renewable energy instead of fossil fuels - Thesis Example

In many respects, renewable energy is more beneficial, and this is why in the nearest future people should use it as the main source of energy instead of fossil fuels. First of all, renewable energy is not as harmful for the ecology as fossil fuels. As a result of human activities, the atmosphere of the planet is overloaded with carbon dioxide and other emissions which added all together cause the greenhouse effect that result in the rise of the average temperature of the atmosphere, also referred to as global warming.

For example, in the United States, In accordance with the data presented on the official website of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, “over 70% of electricity comes from burning fossil fuels, mostly coal and natural gas”. In total, electricity production in the country accounts for about one third of harmful emissions, among which 25 percent are emitted by coal-fired power plants and 6 percent – by natural gas-fired power plants (United States Environmental Protection Agency). At the same time, when it comes to the use of renewable energy, greenhouse gases emissions are minimal.

What is more, the U. S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory have introduced a milestone study, in accordance to it would be possible to reduce greenhouse gases emissions by 81 percent if at least 80 percent of electricity in the country were produced using renewable sources of energy. Second of all, renewable sources, such as wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, hydrogen, biofuel etc., are vast and inexhaustible. All these mentioned sources have a great technical potential to meet the needs of electricity of the entire world.

For example, by 2040, solar power industry could provide 26 percent of people’s needs for electricity (McLamb). Fossil fuels, in their turn, are not unlimited at all. Accordingly with the latest