Rachel Firkins
Univ 112: Unit 3 Final Essay
December 6, 2014
Effectively Changing Fuel Sources
Introduction:
Global Warming has many harmful effects on the earth we live on. In the United
States, global warming effects are seen more highly in city-like environments due to the
increased number of factories and transportation vehicles compared to more rural-like
communities. In Richmond, Virginia, many harmful results due to global warming have
been increasingly seen in the past 39 years when the global warming movement was
started. Although there has been awareness of the growing problem of the heating of the
atmosphere, the conditions have grown increasingly more damaging to humans and the
environment in which we subside. Richmond, Virginia, like many areas in the United
States, needs to see a change in pace with the rise of global warming so more people
aren’t affected and before we all become noticeably affected by this upset in our
environment. To slow the rate of global warming in the urban environment of
Richmond, Virginia, the EPA in Virginia should initiate trials with sources of
energy such as solar and nuclear power to test and see if these greener energy
sources have the ability to replace the fossil fuels currently providing the majority of
energy in Richmond and harming the environment daily due to the emissions of
Carbon Dioxide.
Creating A Susceptible Environment [Circumstance]
Global Warming creates a much more susceptible environment for people to
encounter diseases such as skin cancer and asthma, and the city environment specifically
allows for excessive global warming increases. With climate change comes many public
health threats such as asthma worsening due to decreased air quality and the spread of
diseases such as Lyme Disease due to insects, such as ticks, having more environments
that fit their survival needs. (Bucci 1) Also, according to the EPA, approximately half of
the kids that are condemned with pediatric asthma, about two million children, live in
areas where ozone levels are above the EPA’s standards for what is safe and healthy for
people. (Mott et al. 1) This statistic exemplifies how much the environment affects the
health rates of human beings and why it is so important for the EPA to initiate a change
to greener power suppliers so the air we breathe will not always be contaminated by
pollutants. There has been no move away from carbon-intensive power plants although
they have been proven to be the largest contributor to the pollution in the air and there are
existing ways to adjust to life where carbon-intensive plants aren’t needed. (Bucci 1) The
entire reason behind geothermal, wind and solar devices being created was for them to
replace harmful substances emitted from carbon plants. (Bucci 1) Because we are using
harmful energy sources to fuel our country, parts of the environment, such as the ozone
layer, are being completely destroyed. Along with the decrease in air quality causing
health problems to the human population, the ozone layer beginning to disappear has
affects on the health of people as well, causing diseases such as skin cancer. Because the
ozone layer is thinning, the human skin is extremely susceptible to the sun’s UV rays
now, which can sometimes cause third degree burns, and burns from the sun at such a
high power can easily turn dangerous to the human body. Therefore, new energy
sources need to be initiated by the EPA in Richmond, Virginia so the rates of
asthma and skin cancer don’t continue to grow.
Energy Sources to Switch To [Consequence, Quantitative Revision]
If the step of using CNG instead of petroleum or diesel oil is not enforced in the
Richmond area, the air will continue to grow more polluted and cause illnesses, such as
asthma in young children, to affect more people and the ozone layer will begin to
obliterate even further. If the use of petroleum was stopped in a majority of cars or buses
in the Richmond area, carbon dioxide emissions could be cut down by almost 30 percent,
because now 32 percent of carbon dioxide emissions come from transportation vehicles.
(EPA) Along with that, the use of CNG in cars, which is the cleanest of fossil fuels and
considered non-toxic, would lead cars to produce 80 percent less carbon dioxide than
they do now. (CNG) The carbon in our atmosphere now will stay in our atmosphere four
thousands of years, so if we keep using energy sources such as petroleum that have emit
carbon, the build up of carbon will just grow and grow. (EPA) As the carbon content in
the air begins to really pile up, the more people there are living in areas with air that is
not safe or healthy for them to breathe in. This is how diseases such as asthma, especially
in younger generations, begin to be seen in many more individuals. Already, EPA and
their partners have reduced over 345 million metric tons of greenhouse gasses; which is
equivalent to 81 million vehicles. (EPA) This has been done thanks to EPA partnering
with agencies such as Energy Star, that are helping promote efficient energy that ends up
saving consumers dollars at the gas pump. (EPA)
The EPA has also come up with the greenhouse gas laws, which Obama is
enforcing, which is basically an invention of a new generation of all clean vehicles.
(EPA) Changes are being made, which shows promise for our environment, but the fact
that environmental factors are still continuously growing worse shows that the EPA can
make these laws and changes all they want, but need people to take their own initiative
and change the way they personally are living or support what the EPA is doing. Fuel
switching from fuels with higher carbon content to fuels with lower carbon content will
reduce carbon emissions immensely and will approximately save 1.7 trillion dollars at the
gas pump along with eliminating 6 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas pollution. (EPA)
Americans tweaking their everyday lifestyle could end up saving our country and
the people in it because the little things everyday, like what we use to fuel our cars,
are now causing our earth, our wallets and our personal health to disintegrate.
What McAuliffe Says [Authority, Counter Argument Revision]
Because the environmental condition of Richmond and the rest of Virginia is
depleting, Governor McAuliffe has established ideas of plans to track the amount of
energy Virginia is using with fossil fuels and start energy efficient programs using solar
and wind power. Just recently, McAuliffe has created an Executive Order to place
Conserving Energy and Reducing Consumption in the Commonwealth Virginia, which
stated that much of the safe energy used to power factories and buildings are untouched
because people haven’t taken the time to look into the cost efficiency or the changes that
these safe energy tactics would bring to Virginia. (McAuliffe 1) But, although alternative
energy sources may save Virginia’s environment, many citizens and officials do not
agree with McAuliffe and think that the cost is too high to install and begin using greener
energy sources. A modern coal power plant produces about 7.8 cents worth of energy
every hour, which adds up to be a 60 dollar electric bill every month. (Wald 1) Then,
when looking at wind energy, in a favorable location where breezes are common every
day, the price of energy can cost up to 12 cents every hour.(Wald 1) That shows an
increase of 50 percent in the price due to moving towards greener energy sources, and
many Americans are extremely price sensitive, especially in the economic state we find
ourselves in. (Wald 1)
McAuliffe does recognize the price differences in these sources, but like many
Virginia citizens, sees that by pushing his act into action, the sustainability and
productivity of other energy sources will reduce energy consumption by 15 percent,
which is truly incredible when basically everything around us uses energy. (McAuliffe 1)
The Governor is trying to work within the budget the Virginia Commonwealth has given
him to create and install these energy sources without trying to take money out of
Virginians’ pockets because he can see the economic downfall many people have been
enduring for years now. Not only Democrats are the people agreeing with the EPA in
their discussions of how energy sources need to be changed, because even Republicans
agree that a solid economy goes along with a clean environment. (Portnoy 1) Everyone is
aware that changes in energy sources will be costly, but the environment is decaying in
front of us and soon enough we will not have a world to successfully live in. There are
changes, such as fuel in cars, that will actually save Americans money if they switch over
to greener fuel sources, but household energy will be more costly at the beginning until
enough green-powered plants are up and running. The health of Americans are on the
line, which is why, although the costs are high, government officials, such as
McAuliffe, are pushing a change in the energy efficiency, so the lifestyle in
Richmond does begin to resemble lifestyles of Chinese citizens.
Are we becoming China? [Comparison Argument]
Compared to certain parts of the world, Richmond City’s environmental
conditions look inviting. Cities in China are some of the most highly polluted cities in the
world due to heavy traffic and the immense amount of factories. People living in these
highly polluted cities go ay by day wearing masks because the toxins in the air is so high
and can cause diseases such as lung cancer and other cardiovascular disorders. Although
Richmond is not to that point, the air is still heavily polluted compared to areas not
surrounded by factories, trains, cars, and busses. The toxins constantly being added to the
air could turn Richmond into an area infested with people forced to wear masks. In
China, the leading cause of death are diseases related to the overwhelming pollution, such
as heart diseases and respiratory diseases because their energy is still remotely based off
of coal. (“Environmental” 1)
“Even among healthy adults, repeated exposure to smog pollution over time
permanently damages lung tissues, decreases the ability to breathe normally, exacerbates
chronic diseases like asthma, and can even cause premature death.”(“News” 1) If the
cities in the United States, like Richmond, allow the energy to stay primarily based off of
coal, smog has the potential to grow into as detrimental of a problem as it is in China
today. Because they were expanding technologically, the Chinese forgot to watch their
natural resources and ended up destroying their environment and the health of their
citizens. The life expectancy of the Chinese in highly polluted areas has actually
decreased by 5.5 years. (Xu 1) Because of how degraded their environment has become,
the Chinese will spend 9 percent of their national income, or 275 billion dollars over the
next five years trying to clean up the mess they slowly made. Global Warming is a huge
problem everywhere in the world and the United States should see from China that the
issues of the environment cannot be left untouched because even though it may cost a
gargantuan amount of money now to try and rewind our earth’s environmental
conditions, the cost will just continue to rise the longer our energy sources are primarily
based off of fossil fuels that are adding toxins into our air on a daily basis.
China now requires 15,000 of their factories to publically announce the number of
toxins their air emissions and water discharges have in them. This leaves the oh so
powerful CEO’s with a sense of responsibility to the environment so they are not
bombarded with complaints, or even huge fines, from the government and the public. (Xu
1) The EPA in the United States is aware of the amount of toxins in the air and much of
the blame is placed on “carbon intensive” plants, but there is never a sense of
responsibility placed on these companies that are destroying the air we breathe. The
majority of American citizens rarely look into who is causing the earth permanent
damage because they are too preoccupied with their individual lives and how they
can come across as their best self.
Pride in the Wrong Aspects [Definition Argument]
People spend a great deal of their money providing in care for their bodies, such
as gym memberships and doctor appointments, but are very hesitant when the
government discusses spending money on changing energy sources to create a cleaner
environment. A cleaner environment would then lead to a healthier lifestyle change for
all Americans because the air we breathe would become clearer and less tangled with
toxins.
There is a lot of misunderstanding with what Virginia is trying to do to preserve
the environment. Yes, money will have to be spent and not everyone agrees as to how
much should be spent on environmental issues, but it would not only benefit Virginia’s
health as a whole, but also would end up cutting back costs of all citizens of the states in
the long run. (Shepherd 1) For people to maintain their health, an energy change has to be
done, otherwise enjoying the outdoors will become nearly impossible and that in itself
with lessen exercise of individuals, especially in children because there will be nowhere
for them to play. 200,000 Virginians collected signatures to implement the Clean Power
Plan that will end up limiting the amount of carbon emission into the air by 20 percent.
(Shepherd 1) The Clean Power Plan will obviously cost money to implement, but the
costs will greatly benefit Virginia’s environment and the people habituating in Virginia.
With the Clean Power Plan, the EPA can work with the government of Virginia to
come up with safer energy sources that can replace carbon-run energy plants and
machines.
Conservation, Please [Value Revision]
The government should not only feel as if they need to stop the depletion of our
environment because the health of citizens is decaying, but also because it is a moral
obligation to conserve the earth that has given us materials to create the society we live in
today. Because we have mistreated the environment we live in, we have created a
disease-ridden area, allowing bugs like mosquitos carrying the West Nile Virus to come
over from Africa and survive in the United States due to an increase in temperature and
infect people of our population. (Marsa 1) Along with letting diseases travel to the United
States, because of global warming we have allowed for diseases to rise to the “norm” of
society like asthma and heart disease. (Marsa 1) These diseases have always existed but
because of global warming, the sunlight cooks the pollution on the earth, which then
creates smog which then leads to thickening of the arteries, a major contributor to heart
disease. (Marsa 1)
Because we have not been concerned with conserving the environment, we have
created a more sickly population of people and created areas of the country where playing
outside can lead to diseases. Carbon domes have been created where immense amounts of
carbon dioxide are emitted. In these carbon domes, allergy season stretches on for longer,
the rate of children with asthma is higher than in any other part of the country and the
environment itself is filled with more toxins. (Marsa 1) For example, ragweeds in carbon
domes are literally implanted with noxious toxins creating a sickly environment for the
people who are around them. (Marsa 1) It is the peoples’ responsibility to care for the
earth we so graciously took over and created societies in, but we have let technological
advancements become more important than the air we breathe. That is why the EPA
needs to begin enforcing energy changes from carbon plants to greener energy
sources, which will help to create cleaner air for every person to breathe in.
Conclusion:
The environment is not going to survive in the conditions it is in now. The United
States is mostly run on fossil fuels that produce toxic pollutants for our air to absorb in
the year 2014, and the concern for global warming and over pollution of the air has been
a concern since the late 1970’s. If the US government does not implement a change by
EPA suggestion in the next coming years, the problems in illness and environmental
condition will continue to grow worse and soon there will be no environment to preserve.
For our well being and the environment around us, the EPA’s suggestions on changing to
greener sources of energy should become more strongly enforced and conserving the
environment should be put at the top of the list of priorities when the government is
trying to stretch their budget. The conditions we live in every day will not go away on
their own and for the sake of future generations, the government needs to step in and
make a change in how we are using our natural resources.
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