How Can the United States Lessen Its Dependence on Fossil Fuels - Essay Example

How can the United s lessen its dependence on fossil fuels? Introduction Developed countries such as the USA have for a long time been seeking alternatives to fossil fuels. Fossil fuels such as coal, natural gases and oil are used in the US mainly for generating electricity. If alternative energy sources are found, it would be possible for the US to import lesser oil, natural gas and coal which would have a significant impact on the revenue spent on such activities (Cochran, 2012). The demand for coal is likely to rise by over 20% by the year 2030 America. Although it is the least expensive source of fossil fuel energy, it poses serious threats to the environment such as emission of harmful gases in the process of burning it in electric power plants. Mining also disturbs the land and changes the rainwater runoff therefore affecting the quality of water in rivers. The other major reason why the US should reduce its dependence on fossil fuels is that they are likely to likely to run out at a certain point in the future. As such, sustainable energy will be useful as it is expected to last longer than any other form of energy. Natural gases and petroleum are also used in other industries and the transportation sector, this means that by reducing the use of such fossil fuels will be of benefit to the environment as there will be lesser emissions of gases harmful to the environment. Increased demands on energy and poor practices in conserving the energy have led an increase in the usage of fossil fuels which in turn continue to deplete the global supply. It will therefore take the efforts of the community and the individual to reduce dependence on fossil fuels as well as finding alternative energy sources (Cochran, 2012). Thesis statement Usage of fossil fuels affects the economic conditions of an individual and poor conservation will eventually lead to a global depletion. Significance of the problem Non-renewable energy sources are in jeopardy as the global supply continues to dwindle. The US will therefore be forced to rein in on its dependency on fossil fuels in the near future due to the rising scarcity, higher fossil fuel prices and the need to end harmful gas emissions in the environment which can lead to global warming. As the no-renewable fuels decrease, the prices are expected to go even higher and this will have a significant effect on the government and the individuals themselves. The prices of food, technology, health, transportation and almost all sectors of the economy will go up (McNerney & Cheek, 2012). Electricity which is present in every aspect of production and individual livelihood will become overly expensive thus making the prices of almost all goods and services to go up. Life will become very expensive for individuals if alternative energy sources are ignored. Alternative sources of energy such as electricity generated from the sun and wind will be pivotal to the survival of individuals. Better conservation of energy also are necessary to ensure that the depleting fossil fuels are sustained for a little bit longer before people adopt new energy sources that is renewable and which will last a life time. Clean energy will also lessen harmful gas emissions therefore reducing the number of health problems related to such emissions (McNerney & Cheek, 2012). People will spend less money on the treatment of such health complications stemming from air pollution and as such, the money can be used for other developments. Recommendations The USA can reduce its dependence on fossil fuels by first replacing technologies that are used to construct automobiles as they are also a major cause of air pollution. Experts posit that individuals need to use electric batteries in their cars since this will reduce dependence on gas for transportation. Expatriates in major oil companies in the US have continued to advocate for alternative energy sources use suggesting a number of steps to help reduce dependency (Chiras, 2013). These include, use of diesel in the cars, use of solar energy in homes, using wood for heating rather than electricity, and use of telecommunications in the professional life . Science and technology experts have developed new gases in the US such as the syngas comprising of hydrogen and carbon oxides with an aim of replacing gases such as ethanol supposed to have lesser environmental value. The US can also focus on the development of clean energy industries which will reduce green house emissions and therefore promote a stronger economy through clean energy industries. Promoting a healthy economy and climate change are interlinked. Cleaner energy is likely to be cheaper with more innovation and economies of scale. The US should go the Swedish way to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels. Sweden has set up a goal to become an absolutely oil-free country by 2020. Sweden aims to achieve this without building more nuclear power plants. The government seeks to all fossil fuels by renewable energy before the changes in the climate hinders national economies and also the depletion of fossil fuels which will cause astronomical increases in price. The government argues that there are better alternatives to oil meaning no household needs oil for heating or gasoline for transport (Chiras, 2013). Sweden has built wind power and water power plants along the coast and also sponsors campaigns to advocate for alternative fuels for use by individuals. A majority of home owners have replaced oil furnaces with boilers using wood pellets and as such reduce the dependency of oil for heating. Heating sales have fallen by over 80 % over the years in Sweden with only 8% using oil in their homes for heating. The US should adopt this policy to make people adopt renewable energy sources that are sustainable. Going green- this is a viable to the depletion of non-renewable fossil fuels. This means that individuals should adopt methods that sustain current resources for future generations. This is a way of finding a balance between people and the environment. Therefore, individuals should respect the environment by using as little resources as possible and participating in recycling programs and use of green energy such as solar power which also reduces pollution (McNerney & Cheek, 2012). Other steps to reduce dependency include conserving energy through simple practices such as turning off electricity when not needed, using energy saving bulbs, turning off air conditioning when not needed and also using energy star- rated consumer appliances. Conclusion It is not clear that the USA can completely eliminate the necessity to import oil but the amount of oil consumed everyday can be reduced. The ultimate solution lies in the advanced of technology to develop vehicles which use energy more efficiently as well as developing new energy sources likely to replace petroleum cleanly and cost effectively (Chiras, 2013). There are other advantages as well of reducing dependency on fossil fuels which include economic sustainability as vehicles operated with an electric engine are far more efficient in mileage than other vehicles that run on fossil fuels. Shifting to new energy sources can take time but the citizens should be enlightened on the importance of turning to alternatives. The government should also put more resources in research meant to develop alternative sources of energy that will not face the risk of depletion and that are safe to the environment. Ending dependency on fossil fuel is of paramount importance to the individuals well being and also to the sustainable growth of the economy. Developing alternative solutions will not only be crucial to the environment but also to significant growth of the economy as money spent importing oil can be used in other sectors of development. References Cochran, C. E. (2012). American public policy: An introduction. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. McNerney, G., & Cheek, M. (2012). Clean energy nation: Freeing America from the tyranny of fossil fuels. New York: AMACOM. Chiras, D. D. (2013). Environmental science. Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning. Read More