Reducing Our Carbon Footprint

In my last post, I discussed the progress that global leaders are making in regards to adapting to climate change and making appropriate adjustments to reduce harmful emissions.  While this progress that arose out of the Paris Climate Conference in 2015 did establish a goal percentage for which to reduce emissions, it did not clearly outline how these numbers could become a reality.  However, as one of the top producers of harmful emissions, it is crucial that the United States do whatever they can to actually meets these new guidelines.  Although many methods would be capable of achieving these goals, one of the most viable options is to reduce our carbon footprint through renewable energies.

A carbon footprint is defined as the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases produced by an individual or, in the case of the global perspective, individual nations.  The reason for the stress on the importance of reducing these emissions stems from the fact that as more carbon dioxide is emitted, the more the balance of the atmosphere is thrown off.  This is where the name "greenhouse gases" comes from, as the gases allow more of the Earth's heat to become trapped.

Carbon emissions come from a variety of sources, including burning of fossil fuels for electricity, transportation, and industrial processes.  Electricity is the largest contributor, as coal must be burned to create enough energy to power almost every aspect of our lives.   (Think about it—could you go a day without turning on the TV, charging your phone, or simply turning on the lights?)  So if electricity causes such a large percentage of harmful carbon emissions, it seems that changing this process to burn less fossil fuels would ultimately reduce our nation's carbon footprint.

Graph courtesy of EPA

The US has been struggling to reduce our carbon emissions for years, but as the emphasis on environmental awareness increases, more and more federal regulations have been proposed to ensure we can follow through.  In August of 2015, the Clean Power Plan was proposed to give each state a target number by which to reduce their individual carbon emissions.  One of the many options proposed by the plan was the use of renewable energies.

Although the Clean Power Plan gives states flexibility in which actions they could take, renewable energy offers certain advantages over other options such as natural gases or nuclear power.  Renewable energy is generated from sources that are not limited in the way that fossil fuels are, making them an appealing option as a long term solution.  Because renewables generate energy from wind, solar power, biomass, or geothermal heat, they do not come with the worry that one day they will be used up completely.

Photo courtesy of Aaron

In regards to the Clean Power Plan, renewable energy may be most appealing as it would allow states to cut their carbon emissions substantially, while still being cost effective.  In fact, switching to renewables has many economic benefits in addition to its environmental advantages.  As a relatively labor intensive means of generating electricity, renewable energy as an industry creates more jobs per dollar invested than the traditional fossil fuel industry, while also creating more jobs in general for the economy.  Additionally, the industry promotes the support of local businesses as investment dollars are kept local by paying private landowners for providing a space in which to build wind and solar power plants.  This also creates an influx of property and income taxes, which ultimately benefit states and local communities.

When compared to the other options proposed by the Clean Air Act, renewable energy outweighs most in the long run.  Nonrenewable sources such as natural gas pose many problems, despite being cleaner than fossil fuels.  While natural gas allows the energy industry to meet the increasing need for electricity, it comes at a price.  Literally.  As the dependence for natural gas increases, customers must deal with spikes in the price for electricity.  Not to mention the fact that while burning natural gases puts less pollutants into the atmosphere, it emits a substantial amount of carbon dioxide.

At the end of the day, when states are considering which options to pursue, it seems that renewable sources are the most effective option to providing a long term solution.  Making these decisions puts states (and ultimately our nation) one step closer to reducing our carbon footprint.