First, we can help get the economy back on track with a smart energy policy. We need to reduce energy consumption in buildings by 50%; we need to adopt an aggressive national renewable portfolio standard; we need to commit to end dependence on foreign oil; and we need to manage greenhouse gases at the points where they first enter the energy economy. Also, there will be tremendous job potential if we improve energy efficiency in buildings, transportation, and industry. We need to integrate the following renewable energy technologies in order to create new jobs and displace jobs from less efficient industries: solar power, photovoltaics, wind power, biomass, biofuels, and geothermal power. In the end, more than 4.5 million more jobs can be created by tackling climate change than would be lost.
Global warming can be addressed by concentrating on energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies by providing emissions reductions. But, we must begin fundamental changes in our energy use now in order to avoid human-made climate disasters. Energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies can begin to be deployed on a large scale today to help save us from the worst consequences of global warming. With continued research and development to lower costs and a reasonable level of policy support, they have the potential to meet most of the carbon reductions that will be required in the future.
Renewable energy and energy efficient technologies could displace approximately 1.2 billion tons of carbon emissions annually by 2030. This is the amount scientists believe is necessary to prevent the most dangerous consequences of climate change. Approximately 57% of carbon emission reductions would be from energy efficiency and 43% would be from renewable energy. Also, energy efficiency measures can allow U.S. carbon emissions to remain about level through 2030, while renewable technologies can provide large reductions in carbon emissions below current levels.
Today's global community consumes more energy than it sustainable produces. Because most of this energy comes from finite resources, simply increasing supplies of these resources is not an option. But, large-scale renewable energy integration is. Smart investors are evaluating and investing in renewable energy.
Many jobs can be created if we move into renewable energy. Those industries showing the largest job gains include: construction, farming, professional services, public sector, retail, truck transportation, fabricated metals and electrical equipment. The construction industry directly benefits from almost all the growing renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors as well as from improvements in overall economic growth due to energy savings. Farming directly benefits from biomass and biofuel technology growth.
Power plant air emissions are responsible for approximately one-third of nitrogen oxide emissions, two-thirds of sulfur dioxide emissions, and one-third of carbon dioxide emissions nationally. Renewables can avoid or reduce these air emissions, as well as reduce water consumption, thermal pollution, waste, noise, and adverse land-use impacts. Moreover, renewable are sustainable energy resources. They avoid depletion of natural resources of future generations.
It has been discovered that global temperatures have risen and that human activities are having a discernible effect on the climate system. There will be adverse impacts from sea-level rise and coastal flooding; severe stress on forests, wetlands, and other systems. There will also be damage to human health. However, early action may allow greater future flexibility in choose strategies for stabilizing emissions of heat-trapping gases. Renewables are valuable in lessening these risks as wells as lessening the risk of future expenditures to reduce heat-trapping gas emissions by other means. Carbon emission controls are not available by any known technology, and while natural gas plants emit only about half as much carbon dioxide as coal, they still contribute significantly to the problem and offer no long-term solution. Renewables, on the other hand, including sustainably managed biomass, result in virtually no net carbon emissions. The availability of significant quantities of zero-emitting renewables could help to mitigate the environmental impacts of energy use, now and in the years to come.
In the end, one of the most important benefits of renewable energy is the fact that it's non-polluting, and it does not use resources that can never be replaced. Renewable energy has a much lower environmental impact than conventional sources of energy. The benefits of renewable energy extend to stimulating the economy and creating job opportunities. The money that is invested in renewable energy is typically spent on materials and staff that build and maintain equipment instead of importing energy. The money that is spent on renewable energy stays in the United States for the most part. Also, renewable energy that is made and developed in the U.S. is being sold to overseas countries. This means that the U.S. trade deficit is being improved. When the oil supply was interrupted in the 1970's, the U.S. became more dependent on supplies from foreign nations. This has an impact on energy nationwide. The benefits of renewable energy will help to alleviate many issues related to this dependence. The use of fossil fuels make the U.S. vulnerable to political instabilities, trade disputes, embargoes and a variety of other impacts. The fact that we rely on other countries for our energy has not done us any favors in recent years. As a nation, we stand to benefit greatly from making the change to using renewable fuels to supply our energy needs.
We need a transitional energy economy-one that will take us from an oil-slicked, coal-fired one to a clean and green renewable energy future. If America pulls all their resources together, we can accomplish this goal, and renewable energy integration is our future.
Lauren Elizabeth Ettlinger
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