Energy Crisis

Research Essay
Energy Crisis Fossil fuels and Nuclear power plants are extremely dangerous to the environment. They pollute the very atmosphere we breathe and they’re extremely expensive. It emits large amounts of toxins and carbon dioxide into the air, not only hurting humans but also the crops we grow. They also assist the cause global warming. “A catastrophic human’s effect of burning fossil fuels and nuclear waste is global warming. They emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming.” (Sen) It is destroying ecosystems, but how do we fix this issue? There are plenty of green solutions, like hydro-power. Hydro-power is an extremely potent solution. It is used in heavy industries, but typically private commercial purposes. If people were to use hydro-power for public use the benefits would be vast. It is efficient and clean. “The benefits of such hydro-power systems are clear; once constructed, the energy is produced is inexpensive and hygienic when compared to other power sources: the amount of pollution produced is minimal.” (Drabble) The only issue with hydro-power is that water is limited. There are superior solutions. The most potentially potent one is solar energy. There would be nearly a limitless amount of energy. “More solar energy hits the earth in one hour than all the energy the world consumes in a year. So if you want to solve the energy crisis, go to the bank where the energy is kept – the sun.” (Lewis) It might be a huge investment, but we would not run out of energy as long as we have the sun. It is an extremely profitable investment as well, while the initial cost might be pricy, it will save you a lot of money. If on average energy costs was $400 per month, if people were to switch over to solar energy it would cut the costs by 50% to $200 per month. That is around $2400 per year. It is extremely profitable. If we want to stop global warming once and for all, we must get rid of nuclear power plants and the use of fossil fuels. Nuclear power plants are extremely destructive to the planet. “The disposal of nuclear waste is a pressing matter for society worldwide. Potential health and safety concerns require that nuclear waste be stored in a controlled and secure manner.” (Agar) There is no guaranteed way to dispose of the waste they produce. No matter how safely we get rid of it; we will eventually run out of room to dump all the nuclear waste. There are many solutions, but one thing is certain we must stop using fossil fuels and nuclear power plants. “Simply put, drilling in ANWR would be expensive, environmentally devastating, and would do very little to fix our energy crisis or to bring down the price fossil fuels.” (Schwartz) All they do is hurt our environment and economy.

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