Even if you don’t give a rat’s tooshie about climate change, there are tons of great reasons to support a shift from using fossil fuels as energy to using clean energy. For your convenience, here are four reasons to switch to clean energy for you to consider.
1) Energy independence.
The US was still the top net importer of oil in the world as of 2012. Contrast that with other countries around the world that rely on renewable energy. In 2015, Denmark got so much energy from renewable sources (wind and solar), that they were powering 140% of their demand! That means they were selling their excess power to neighboring countries.
In the US, if we chose to devote our efforts to expanding solar and wind power to cover our electricity needs, we wouldn’t have to worry about oil/coal/natural gas shortages EVER AGAIN. Booyah, energy independence.
2) Protecting your health.
The fossil fuel industry has a bad track record of playing fast and loose with your health. With no exceptions, we all need to breath air, drink water, and eat food. Every year more than 30,000 American citizens die early because of air pollution. More than 600,000 Americans have asthma attacks because of air quality, resulting in thousands of hospital and emergency room visits.
The bottom line is that solar and wind don’t threaten your health and the health of those you care about the same way that fossil fuels do.
3) Protecting your property and natural habitats you enjoy using recreationally.
Burning fossil fuels has a huge cost, but the fossil fuel companies are not paying those costs. If you hunt, fish, or just hike outdoors, fossil fuel usage is threatening your fun. As the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation puts it, “How will you feel if you go fishing and your favorite river is so polluted that the fish have died?”
Even if power generators are following emissions/pollution laws, that doesn’t mean the surrounding areas are free from harm. So if you want to preserve your beloved land for work or pleasure, you should consider supporting clean energy instead of fossil fuels.
4) Maintaining the “chemical feedstock.”
You’re probably thinking, “what? Why should I care about this one?” So glad you asked. Our lives are phenomenally dependent on products derived from fossil fuels it is crazy. Almost anything you interact with in your house or work, not to mention your health and safety, depends on turning coal, oil, and natural gas into chemicals that become products you buy.
For example, the medical industry depends on plastic disposables to cut back on disease transmission. Back in the old days, hospitals had to re-use glass and metal equipment and just hope they sterilized it properly. Not so with disposables!
In your day-to-day life, if you buy food that uses plastic packaging, or if you drive a car that’s not 100% metal, if you use cleaning products to clean your bathroom and kitchen, if you wear clothes that aren’t made of cotton/wool/silk, you are indirectly using fossil fuels. The problem is, the more fossil fuels we burn for energy, the less we can turn into useful things we like to have in our daily life.
What Can I Do?
Call or write to your representatives and DEMAND that they support clean energy for the reasons listed above (and to combat climate change).
Check out resources that will help you lower your impact on the environment.