Our Only Planet

In most cases, using non-renewable or non-environmental friendly resources might be easier for us, and makes more money for the huge fossil fuels company, but is it all worth it to destroy the only planet we’ve got? Everyday, around the world, we are fighting for equal human rights, but if we don’t put our planet as our number 1 priority, soon we will be equally extinct. We should use more eco-friendly products so the companies will get a message that we don’t want fossil fuels products, and instead want to save our planet.

 My first reason to why we should switch our energy resources is that combustion of Fossil Fuels harms the planet! Fossil Fuels are one of the mostly used resources which contribute to the bad emission in the world, and there are power plants which use fossil fuels - coal, oil and natural gas to create energy. What power plants does is they use nearby river water for cooling, and then discharges it back to the river. By then the water discharging is full of heavy metals, chlorine and other harmful chemical which can lead to environmental problems as well. Such problems are that when the warmer water meets with the cool water in the river, it causes thermal heat pollution, wear ice-free pockets of water is created during winter, attracting and trapping many aquatic species. However, in the summer it causes oxygen-deficiency in the water, and therefore many fishes and marine creatures are killed. In an article, clearwater.org states that “These fuels cause a variety of health and environmental problems and are not a long-term solution to energy needs. As these fuels become harder to find, prices will rise and political problems associated with market manipulation from domestic and overseas sources will only increase.” This shows how fossil fuels cause lots of harm not only to the people but to the planet as well. The important thing about Fossil Fuels are that they are not a sustainable source for energy as there are only a maximum amount of it, and as people and technology advanced through the near future, we may soon run out of these resources, to use as energy.

 My second reason to why we should use renewable energy such as solar energy, is that they are more sustainable. Although they may be very expensive to install them on the roofs, it is your own personal energy, so it is free! Furthermore, it is a very sustainable way of getting energy, as solar panels creates energy using the sun’s energy. Therefore you don’t need to worry about not having electricity in the near future. As the sun is a natural source, and solar panels don’t emit harmful chemicals or gases, it is a renewable energy source. In The Huffington Post, Belinda Waymouth states in an article, “From the about face by UK Energy (a huge coal lobbyist) now backing a green energy future, to China's plans to lay off 1.8 million workers -- mostly in the coal industry -- in bid to restructure the country's lethargic economy and falling energy demands." This backs up my point that if we start small in putting solar panels on our roofs, or using less energy and more eco-friendly products, it will show the huge fossil fuels companies that coal and other harmful and unsustainable resources are not wanted anymore, and instead want renewable energy for the homes. Furthermore in another article, David Roberts states from a statistic that "August saw the announced retirement of 6,377 megawatts worth of coal generation, the highest of any month since the beginning of 2010" This means that Coal prices is decreasing as it is not popular anymore - less than $76.87 in Aug 2014, while before in Feb 2011, highest was $141.02. If we continue and improve the use of renewable energy and solar panels, we will be able to save our planet before it is too late.

 My third reason to why we should change to eco-friendly cars is that they save a lot of energy and emit less CO2 and other harmful gases in the environment. They are also much cheaper, and if you are using solar panels, they can also provide the car energy for the day . In the Chicago Tribune, Chris Mooney states that "Strikingly, the new paper estimates that for a household that buys an electric vehicle and also owns a solar panel system generating enough power for both the home and the electric car, the monthly cost might be just $89 per month — compared with $255 per month for a household driving a regular car without any solar panels." This shows how much you can benefit from saving the planet. There are different types of Hybrid cars, in different car brands. For example, there is a new, 2016, Toyota Hybrid Prius on sale now. It can travel longer distances per litre of fuel, with a 25km/litre. Many non-eco cars often travels 14-20km/litre. The special thing about Hybrids is that they have 2 power sources - one regular engine, using petrol to power the internal combustion energy, and the second is an electric motor which uses batteries to power them. Although it may seem that have 2 power sources mean more combustion and emitting pollution into the air, however it is the opposite. The battery charged motor does not emit and pollution, and therefore less CO2 and other gases are emitted from the car’s internal combustion motor. This means they use less petroleum in the car, which is a liquid mixture of Hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons are very harmful to the environment, as they contribute to lots of the problems - such as oil spills, global warming, the greenhouse effect, etc. An example to how Toyota is contributing to saving the planet is that they recycle all used batteries into new ones, and use them in the eco-cars. They are already recovering 90% of the old batteries into new ones.

 We should all be considerate of our actions and the consequences they can bring to the planet if we use either too much or the wrong resources. Eco-friendly cars and Solar panels are just 2 out of many other new and advanced way to use energy efficiently without harming the planet. It especially starts from those who lives in high standards of living, who can afford such products, and when they are more commonly used, it can also help those in poverty, as organizations might one day be able to install them in their homes for unlimited electricity. We should all work together to buy renewable energy products, telling companies we don’t want coal and other fossil fuels, and help save our only planet.

Bibliography:

- "Buying Guide - Air Conditioner Environmental Impact - National Geographic's Green Guide." National Geographic. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2016.

- "Fact Sheet 14 - What's Wrong With Power Plants?" Fact Sheet 14 - What's Wrong With Power Plants? Clearwater, n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2016.

- Waymouth, Belinda. "Only Renewable Energy Revolution Can Reverse Runaway Climate Change." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 11 Mar. 2016. Web. 12 Mar. 2016.

- Roberts, David. "Good News! There’s Bad News for Coal." Grist. N.p., 19 Sept. 2014. Web. 12 Mar. 2016.

- Mooney, Chris. "How Solar Power and Electric Cars Could Make Suburban Living a Bargain." Chicago Tribute. N.p., 7 Jan. 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2016.

- "How Does Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive Work? - Toyota." Toyota. N.p., 27 Apr. 2015. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.