Energy Politics: Balancing Economy and Ecology

731 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Benefits of non renewable energy

One of the most debated topics in twenty-first century politics is energy. As the world has progressively improved in technology, so has our dependence on energy. Energy comes from many sources, such as non-renewable and renewable energy. Non-renewable energy pertains to fossil fuel (coal and oil), natural gas, and nuclear. Renewable energy resources are hydro, wind, and solar. Since the industrial revolution most of the energy used has been non-renewable energy. These non-renewable energy sources have caused ecological problems, although there is disagreement to the extent. Energy reliance has also caused economic debate. Everyone wants to use the cheapest energy source. However, the cheaper energy sources have been causing the most ecological …show more content…

Climate change can cause major ecological problems. Although some argue against the theory of climate change, most scientist agree that carbon emissions have been the number one cause of global warming. The earth is naturally warmed though greenhouse gases, carbon-dioxide being the most occuring. The Energy Information Administration of the United States states in the “Energy in Brief” section, greenhouses gases are increasing: “From 1990 to 2013, energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in the United States increased on average by about 0.3% per year.” As carbon dioxide emissions has steadily increased so has global climate temperatures. Changes in climate can cause the reconstruction of plant biology. In addition, global warming causes the change of migration patterns. The earth is getting warmer, although some debate this is naturally occurring. No matter which side, protecting and preserving the earth should be of most concern. If life ceased to exist all the other implications would be irrelevant. The biggest issue right below reducing carbon emissions is energy conservation. If using energy resources is causing global warming, there should be a reduction of the resource usage. Although energy conservation is hard to implement because of how reliant we are on energy. Energy conservation has many economic implications, but not as much as energy

Show More
Related

  • Dbq Essay On Climate Change

    607 Words  | 2 Pages

    Earth’s average temperature has increased about 0.8 degrees Celsius since 1880 and another degree could cause even more problems than there already are. Climate change is an important issue to be aware of because it is real and it affects you and the things around you each and every day. Every day animals lose habitats and die because climate change caused there home to burn, or their food sources started to deplete, etc. Along with these, more and more CO2 is being released into the air due to wildfires burning which is causing the atmosphere to heat even more. With the temperature increasing the oceans will become warmer and evaporation and rainfall patterns will change which will affect humans and animals, because we all work together in a system. There are many consequences of climate change like human health issues, and more animals becoming endangered, but the most important consequence is the rising amounts of wildfires.

    Read More

  • The Role of Climate Change in Coral Reef Destruction

    2598 Words  | 6 Pages

    Climate change is arguably one of the most discussed issues in climatic conferences and political debates across the world. Establishment of the fact that global warming is the leading cause of climate change continues to persuade people to find out ways of reducing or mitigating the effects it has on the earth. Global warming occurs naturally, but artificial causes, which are mainly human activities, contribute to this effect. The release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide from human activates has led to a 0.60C rise in global temperatures (Walther et al., 2002). This implies that different life forms are affected in one way or the other given the effect of temperature on life. Different species of flora and fauna have and continue to suffer the effect of climatic changes.

    Read More

  • Advantages And Alternatives: Pros And Cons Of Alternative Energy

    1058 Words  | 3 Pages

    Alternative energy sources are renewable, and is most commonly referred to as free energy sources. There are many alternative energy sources such as hydro power, solar power, wind, biomass, and geothermal. Using alternative sources is more expensive in the long run, but it is the much safer option for our environment compared to fossil fuels. Although everything used is completely free, such as water and wind, the equipment used to generate these things are expensive. There are several pros and cons that come with the utilization of alternative energy sources.

    Read More

  • climate change

    832 Words  | 2 Pages

    Climate Change is an ongoing problem that continues to intensify as time goes on and not much is happening to change it. Material consumption and increasing populations are increasing the issue of climate change and ruining Earth’s ecosystems. Since the Earth’s population is growing and fast, people are using more energy and materials, which raises great concern. The human ecological footprint has grown so much over the past few years that it is almost irreversible if not changed quickly. Climate change is the most important threat to the Earth and many factors lead are to blame, fossil fuels, greenhouse gases, and carbon dioxide. It would although be ignorant to say that man has nothing to do with it, as the population increases, the need for natural resources, use of more fossil fuels, more waste is produced, the is more pollution which leads to the ozone depletion causing global warming and essentially climate change overall. Since man has the ability to cause such harm to the Earth, man should change their ways to reverse the damage.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Alternative Energy

    1018 Words  | 3 Pages

    The energy industry provides many different resource options for consumers to choose. Two main markets within this industry exist: conventional energy and alternative energy. Conventional forms of energy never suffer from low demand because of consumer’s familiarity with these resources. Alternative energy, on the other hand, is still a growing market. The United States government shows great interest in adapting to a lifestyle that uses these forms of energies by passing acts, creating energy policies, and subsidization to support the alternative energy market. But the conventional energy market still remains prevalent in the country. A government model of utilizing alternative resources needs to occur for the energy market to thrive amongst

    Read More

  • Climate Change Impacts on Biodiversity

    1108 Words  | 3 Pages

    Overall climate change is going to continue, we might not be able to stop it but we sure can slow it down and if we can slow it down we will be able to keep many amenities that we need and keep most of our ecosystems safe. Animals are a huge part in human society and once we realize we are damaging their environment and by damaging their environment we are risking losing the essentials we need to survive. Humans need to reduce the use of carbon emissions and by doing that will greatly increase the chances of slowing down rapid climate fluctuations.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Renewable Energy

    1129 Words  | 3 Pages

    Within the last ten to twenty five years the use of renewable energy resources have become more popular among many individuals. Renewable energy sources made their real entry onto the international energy scene in the 1970s when the two worldwide oil crises occurred. During that time, the prices of oil skyrocketed, thus establishing new ideas and alternatives for energy. In 2010, worldwide renewable energy production reached 66.83 quadrillion BTUs. Renewable energy resources are sources of energy that cannot be depleted. According to the Renewable Energy Working Party (REWP) of the International Energy Agency has set down the following definition: “Renewable Energy is energy that is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly.

    Read More

  • Climate Change In California

    558 Words  | 2 Pages

    The drought in California is an example of the severity of climate change. The result from this is increased price of water and even food. Following in suit new regulations on how much water each individual can use, and eventually if the drought continues people will be forced to move to an area with more water. Additionally entire species can be affected by global warming. The short but effective rise in sea level is bleaching many of the coral reefs. This is damaging the ecosystem and making it impossible for many of the species to sustain themselves. Many species depend on coral reefs to survive. However, if everyone can make a few changes and be conscious about the effects of releasing CO2 it is possible to avoid some of these consequences.

    Read More

  • Margaret Atwood Dystopic World Analysis

    920 Words  | 2 Pages

    Even the animals remaining risk extinction from the slightest change in the environment, as evidenced by a quote from one of Adam One’s speeches; “we rejoice that they were spared, unless a change in ocean temperature and salinity caused by the great downpour of fresh waters did harm to some Species unknown to us.” (125) While extinction of this level may not have happened yet in our world, it is not a stretch to say that we are certainly on our way there. Time and time again people have warned that we as humans need to take serious efforts to stop the spread of global warming and respect the environment, or face dire consequences. Rachel Carson ’s essay Silent Spring paints a picture of a world that has been ruined due to our heavy

    Read More

  • Climate Change

    1276 Words  | 3 Pages

    Climate change is the change of global temperatures due to the high levels of carbon-dioxide and other destructive gases being released into the atmosphere, warming the earth causing a devastating impact on the ecosystem. The National Research Council concluded that "Climate change is occurring, is very likely caused by human activities, and poses significant risks for a broad range of human and natural systems" (EPA). There are multiple effects of climate change including: increasing sea levels; melting of the polar ice caps; additional extreme heat events, fires and drought; and more extreme storms, rainfall and floods. More than just human beings are affected by climate change. The animals and the insects that inhabit the planet are going into extinction or living under problematic circumstances. According to Preparing for Climate Change geologist predict “that these trends will continue and in some cases accelerate, posing significant risks to human health, our forests, agriculture, freshwater supplies, coastlines, and other natural resources that are vital to the economy, environment, and our quality of life”. Climate change is a phenomenon that has an effect on the whole planet.

    Read More

  • Tale Of The Future Analysis

    1578 Words  | 4 Pages

    If inaction is the path that the majority of the world takes, we can look forward to everything from rising temperatures to rising sea levels. Rising sea levels are becoming a major concern. It is believed that sea levels could rise over a foot in the next 100 years, which would seriously impact ecosystems, species, and even coastal cities (National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA]). The rising temperatures and sea levels will likely bring more vicious storms to the coast, similar to hurricane Sandy. Another water-related concern is the decrease of fresh water that will be available due to subsiding ice caps which are fresh water stores as well as rising sea levels. Ice caps melting and high temperature also poses the problem of droughts, dust bowls, and agricultural breakdown. While these are just some of the possible products of climate change, one thing is for sure. This kind of future will be hot, salty, dry, and

    Read More

  • The Effects of Climate Change: Agriculture and Livestock

    1063 Words  | 3 Pages

    Climate change is one of the major issues surfacing on Earth over the past century. The earth’s temperature has increased over the years, leading to detrimental effects on the economic and life sources of people, especially that of agricultural production and livestock. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary (2014), defined climate change as a change in global climate patterns apparent from the mid late 20th century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, (2007) predicts that by 2100 the increase in global average surface temperature may be between 1.8° C and 4.0° C. With increases of 1.5° C to 2.5° C, approximately 20 to 30 percent of plant and animal species are expected to be at risk of extinction. Moreover, the IPCC (2007) purported that climate change has severe consequences for food security in developing countries.

    Read More

  • Environmental Issues

    1194 Words  | 3 Pages

    The environmental issues associated with the development and use of oil, gas, nuclear power, electricity, and wind/solar power fall under the category of "Energy." Energy is one of the most important issues there are, as energy is what makes the world work and act productively/efficiently. The absence of gas, oil, or electricity would put the world at a standstill and leave us stuck in the past, technology wise because these energy resources are needed for manufacturing, transportation, and to keep the world alive. Analyzing all the articles revolving around energy issues, I would say the majority are directly correlated with the politics in energy. Between the British Energy concerns, OPEC's debates on oil production, and the Texas Energy company's random donations, it's hard to tell who to trust when it comes to energy concerns. Many businesses seem to be caught up in fraud nowadays or bankruptcy and trust lies in very few companies' possession as not many can be trusted with money or decisive actions. Also, the occasional rise in prices on oil and other energy resources are all to common as countries hoard environmental resources in attempt to gain profit through a meager controlled sale.

    Read More

  • Renewable Energy Disadvantages

    1484 Words  | 3 Pages

    Renewable energy is a type of energy source that does not have an ending to it from its consistent replenishing. Differential to fossil fuels that cause harm to the Earth, renewable energy is made from natural sources that don’t cause any harm with carbon dioxide or pollutants. There are four different types of alternative energy: nuclear, solar, wind, hydroelectric. The purpose of this paper is for the reader to better understand the use of alternative energy along with the positive and negative impacts it has on the world.

    Read More

  • Renewable Energy is the Future

    990 Words  | 2 Pages

    Using fossil fuels such as coal and oil is inefficient, dangerous, and otherwise a process that is known to eventually fail as a long lasting energy source. Yet, there is hope for the future of energy, this new hope has many shapes and forms, but requires a chance to be fully implemented in our everyday life. Such energy sources like solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, and hydro power are the key to our future. These energy sources are proven to be long lasting, safe, more reliable, and the next innovation. In short, all Americans should switch to renewable energy, resulting in a safer and more efficient world.

    Read More

More about Energy Politics: Balancing Economy and Ecology

Open Document