Argumentative Essay On Fossil Fuel

Fossil fuels have been relied on for many years as an energy source, but they have caused many environmental problems. Taking these sources of energy out of the Earth alone destroys the landscape due to having to drill in certain locations. Pollution also contributes to the environmental problems. There are large amounts of carbon and sulfur dioxide that are released into the atmosphere. The rise of carbon dioxide has been contributing to the greenhouse effect, which has created warmer temperatures around the world. These warm temperatures are signs of global warming. They have melted the polar ice caps, and may in-time create unbearable weather conditions on Earth. In addition to this, the rise of carbon dioxide can cause many diseases such

as asthma and cancer (Conserve Energy Future, n.d.).
Alternative energy sources can be a sufficient replacement for fossil fuels. Most forms of alternative energy are recyclable and can be safer for the environment. For example, wind energy does not cause any types of pollutants that can create health issues for people. Wind Energy is created by machines called wind turbines that look like plane propellers on a long and steep pole. The blowing winds are able to turn its propellers to provide energy for an electric generator that distributes electric currents. These wind turbines have the strength to provide energy for any small or large business all over the world (National Geographic, n.d.). Another form of alternative energy that can provide a safer environment than fossil fuels is solar energy. With solar energy, solar panels are installed on top of businesses or homes. When solar energy panels are hit by a ray of sun, the material produces an electrical charge that can be transferred through a circuit to anything that is powered by electricity (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2012). These two alternative forms of energy can produce large quantities of power by using the Earth’s natural resources. This may lead to less pollution as well as protection of the Earth’s landscape in the future. There was a survey taken by the Solar Energy Industries Association that showed that ninety-two percent of Americans think that the United States should use alternative energy rather than fossil fuel as an energy source (Solar Energy Industries Association, 2014). There is a great deal of supporters for the use of alternative energy.
In addition to being safe for the environment, alternative energy is also more cost efficient than fossil fuels.

Since the United States relies on fossil fuels as an energy source, it is at a high demand. Today, the price of fossil fuel is high and it will continue to grow as long as there is still a large demand for it. Businesses and all other consumers in America are spending between seven-hundred billion and one trillion every year on coal, oil and natural gas. If America chooses to continue using fossil fuel as an energy source, the United States will most likely spend about twenty-three trillion dollars on fuel between 2010 and 2030. In 2006 alone, American businesses and consumers spent over nine-hundred billion dollars on fossil fuel, which was more than the amount that was spent on education and the military. In Washington, D.C. and in many other states, the government has made policies to encourage the use of alternative energy sources in order to increase the use of solar and wind power, and rid the Earth from greenhouse gasses. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, switching to an alternative energy source could cut global warming emissions along with providing savings for consumers and businesses at over four-hundred billion every year by 2030 (Environment America, 2009). For example, wind energy can be great for the economy because the free winds make the cost of production very low after wind turbines are created. Fast creation and technological advances have also made turbines cheaper, and many governments offer tax incentives to encourage the production of more wind energy (National Geographic,

n.d.).
As well as being more cost-effective, alternative energy has had a large impact on the political views of the United States. For example, a survey done by the Solar Energy Industries Association concluded that the use of solar energy is important in the political world because eighty-five percent of Republicans, eighty-nine percent of Independents, and ninety-four percent of Democrats share the same opinion that the US should produce more solar energy. In addition to this, the survey found that seventy-eight percent of Americans think that the federal government should provide an incentive for the development of solar energy and seventy percent of Americans think that the federal government should do more to promote the use of solar energy (Solar Energy Industries Association, 2014).
There are many benefits to switching from the use of fossil fuel as an energy source to the use of alternative energy. Consumers and businesses would be able to save more money and the environment would not have to suffer as much as it is now due to the use of fossil fuel. These fuels can cause contamination of air and water supplies all across the globe, which may contribute to the amount of people that develop disease. In addition to this, fossil fuels are a non-renewable source so they will not last forever. If alternative energy was made the main source of energy around the world, energy would have the ability to be recycled and it could be used for a longer period of time. Alternative energy sources may be a large step in the future of sustainable energy and it may also be the key to saving the natural environment of the Earth. Therefore, the United States should implement a policy in which requires Americans to use alternative energy as their main energy sources. This will help to protect the environment and protect our planet from a heat death.