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Ben McCoy
Rasheedah Alexander
English 112
3/12/14
Alternative Energy
The world needs to increase the use of renewable and safe energy and stop the use of
fossil fuels. Humans are polluting the environment by burning fossil fuels. Finding new
alternative energy sources will stop environmental pollution. Humans need to use more
renewable energy sources like solar energy, nuclear energy, ethanol, and wind energy. Humans
need to use renewable energy like solar energy, nuclear energy, and wind energy and decrease
the use of fossil fuels.
Humans are greatly polluting the environment by burning fossil fuels. Burning fossil
fuels releases harmful gases into the environment like carbon dioxide, methane and carbon
monoxide. These gases deplete the ozone layers, increase the temperature of the atmosphere, and
decrease air quality. Mckibbin states, Indeed, it followed on 2011, which showed the greatest
weather extremes in our history56% of the country was either in drought or flood, which was
no surprise. The heavy pollution is causing many of the weather patterns to change around the
world. While the environment continues to be polluted, humans need to find other energy
sources that are less harmful to the environment.
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The temperature of the atmosphere increases across the world has been changing because
of environmental pollution. These weather changes are causing droughts, flooding, and plants
blooming times. Lynas explains, Where I live in Oxford, six out of the past ten winters have
been completely snowlesssomething that happened only twice during the whole 30-year
period between 1960 and 1990. Agriculture is also greatly affected due to the weather changes
cause by pollution. As the weather changes it changes the blooming seasons of many of the
plants that are harvest and consume. Changes like the ones occurring in oxford, are happening in
many other places in the world.
Humans need to move away from fossil fuels and other harmful sources of energy and
move to renewable energy. Renewable energy is energy that can be produced from natural
resources these natural resources can replenish themselves naturally. Renewable energy is much
cleaner and safer for the environment. The WWF (World wildlife fund) said, Energy derived
from the sun, the wind, the Earth's heat, water and the sea has the potential to meet the world's
electricity needs many times over, even allowing for fluctuations in supply and demand. One of
the main problems with fossil fuels is that it is nonrenewable, therefore it will run out. Solar
energy, nuclear energy, ethanol, and wind energy are sources of energy that humans need to
focus on using rather than fossil fuels.
Nuclear energy is a relatively cheap to use and produces less environmental and public
health impact than fossil fuels. Nuclear energy is a source of energy that if well contained can
become the worlds number one form of energy. People have many prejudgments about nuclear
energy because of the past nuclear meltdowns. But if nuclear energy plants are protected and
kept contained than it is an efficient form of energy for the future. Salazar explains, Even if we
consider the deaths caused by the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki [in 1945], the
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number of people killed by nuclear power since the middle of the last century is only a fraction
of the deaths caused by fossil fuel. Nuclear energy is a safe and consistent form of energy that
should be used more than fossil fuels.
The sun provides the earth with a nearly endless supply of energy that is just waiting to
be used. Solar energy is taking the energy that the sun produces and converting it into energy that
humans can use. The WWF (World wildlife fund) says, Solar energy provides light, heat and
electricity, solar energy can be used for many different applications. Solar energy usage is
increasing across the world. The reason why solar energy is not used more is because it is
expensive. If people across the world start to use solar energy the price to create the energy will
drop dramatically. Pollution across the world will decrease dramatically if solar energy is
adapted and used more. Because solar energy produces no pollution and is renewable it is a
better form of energy than fossil fuels.
Wind power is a form of energy that is renewable and provides less pollution than fossil
fuels. Wind power is power that is harvested from the wind. The United States is starting to
increase the use of solar energy by building off shore wind turbines. The WWF (World wildlife
fund) states, Wind power currently supplies around 2 per cent of global electricity demand, with
capacity more than doubling in the last four years. The problem with wind power is that it takes
us a large about of land for the wind turbines. But if the wind turbines are placed strategically
than they can be put on farm lands reducing the turbines environmental impact.
Hydro power is one of the largest forms of renewable energy on this planet. Because of
the amount of water on the planet it makes hydro power a reliable form of energy. Hydro power
is energy that is created from water. The WWF (World wildlife fund) explains hydro power and
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states, The motion of the ocean, through both waves and tides, provides a potentially vast and
reliable source of energybut there are significant challenges in converting it into electricity.
Hydro power is less harmful to the environment than the burning of fossil fuels. Hydro power
creates no pollution to the environment. One of the main problems with hydro power is that is
harms the water and the marine animals located in the water hydro power is being created at. The
WWF (World wildlife fund) explains the problems of hydro power and says, They fragment
habitats and cut off fish access to traditional spawning grounds.
Many people need to take action and try to lower their use of fossil fuels, doing this
would decrease the amount of pollution across the world. If humans across the world would
increase the use of renewable energy air quality would increase, the temperature of the
atmosphere would reduce, and weather patterns would return to normal. Mark lynas writes,
Avoiding dangerous climate change and other large-scale environmental crises will need to
become the key organizing principle around which societies evolve. The easiest way to start
using renewable energy is to start by using small forms of renewable energy like using solar
panels and electric cars. Many countries are starting to adapt renewable energy sources but not
enough action is being taken everywhere in the world.
Renewable energy needs to become the main source of energy across the world. Turning
to renewable energy would decrease environmental pollution considerably. The burning of fossil
fuels harms the environmental by creating chemicals that pollute the environment. By stopping
the use of fossil fuels and use renewable and clean energy air quality would increase. Humans
need to use renewable energy and clean energy, if we continue to burn fossil fuels than the
environment will continue to be polluted.
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Work cited
American Coalition for Ethanol. "Ethanol Provides a Sustainable Alternative to
Gasoline." Renewable Energy. Ed. David M. Haugen and Susan Musser. Detroit:
Greenhaven Press, 2012. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.

Salazar, Mario. "Nuclear Power Is a Viable Source of Renewable Energy." Nuclear
Power. Ed. Lynn M. Zott and Helga Schier. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013.
Web. 11 Mar. 2014.

World Wildlife Fund, Ecofys, and Office for Metropolitan Architecture. "Renewable
Energy Sources Can Satisfy Energy Demands." The Energy Report: 100%
Renewable Energy by 2050. 2011. Rpt. in Renewable Energy. Ed. David M.
Haugen and Susan Musser. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing
Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 11 Mar. 2014
Gore, Al. "Renewable Energy Is Necessary to Reduce Global Warming."
Renewable Energy. Ed. Jacqueline Langwith. Detroit: Greenhaven Press,
2009.. Web. 11 Mar. 2014
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McKibben, Bill. "Humans Have a Responsibility to Reduce Carbon Emissions That
Contribute to Natural Disasters." Natural Disasters. Ed. Margaret Haerens
and Lynn M.Zott. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. Web. March 11
th
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