Background
What makes something renewable?
When something is “renewable”, it does not run out when used. With this said, energy that is renewable must be created from natural resources that will never deplete such as sunlight, wind, water, etc. Among the most commonly known forms of renewable energy are solar power, wind power, and hydropower (water power), which will be explained in later tabs.
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How does this relate to climate change?
If we have operated on fossil fuel usage for this long, why do we need renewable energy? The most obvious need for a change to renewable energy is the justice that it serves the environment. Renewable energy usage helps fight climate change, one of the biggest problems currently plaguing the planet. Climate change can be described in the most basic way as the rise in Earth’s average temperature, something that should not occur naturally. Climate change can be attributed greatly to human activity such as the burning of fossil fuels like coal and gas.
What are fossil fuels and why are they bad news?
Fossil fuels are fuels naturally formed from decayed organisms. This includes coal, oil, and gas. The main problem with burning these fossil fuels for energy is the emission of toxic gases, like carbon dioxide, into the air. This traps heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, causing global temperatures to increase. Renewable energy, on the other hand, does not pollute the water or air like fossil fuels do. If the United States plans to battle climate change like some other countries have already started to do, it would make sense to get rid of one of the leading factors causing this change: fossil fuels.
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"Be the Change You Wish to See in the World" -Mahatma Gandhi
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