Throughout this blog, I have discussed some of the risks and the benefits of switching to renewable energy sources. Both renewable energy sources and fossil fuels have their pros and cons, and in this post, I will be recapping these so that people can make their own decisions on the matter.
One of the major topics concerning renewable energy vs. fossil fuels concerns the economy. The fossil fuel industry is a large part of the current United States economy, and if we do end up switching to renewable energy, the loss of the fossil fuel industry could cause another collapse in the economy. This could have disastrous consequences for many people in the United States, especially the workers involved in the fossil fuel industry as well as people who are already in vulnerable places. However, this economic drop could be temporary. The renewable energy industry has to potential to stabilize our economy by providing many more jobs, lowering the unemployment rate, and getting rid of our economic dependence on other countries. In the long term, switching to renewable energy sources could potentially create a more stable and stronger economy, but we cannot ignore the immediate damage that would occur from the loss of the fossil fuel industry.
Another issue that comes up with renewable energy is the cost. Many people believe that renewable energy is extremely expensive to the point where it is completely unaffordable. While many people might not be able to afford to cover their roofs in solar panels, it would be quite worthwhile for some people like farmers and even the government to invest in renewable energy. Renewable energy sources may initially cost a lot of money, but they earn back this money and then some after a while of use. Since these energy sources are renewable, there would be little to no concern of them running out, allowing a great deal of money to be made by those who invest in it.
The final major issue brought up with this debate is climate change. I’m pretty sure everyone has heard about how fossil fuels are one of the causes of climate change. Whether or not you believe that is a different story. This is another huge debate occurring in our country today, and one of my other posts goes into detail about the facts. Whether you believe in climate change or not, it cannot be denied that renewable energy sources would be better for the environment, but still would not be completely environmentally friendly.
This debate has a lot of polarization and is a major topic in politics today, but no matter what you believe, there are pros and cons on each side. The main thing to weigh is the long-term benefits compared to the short term consequences of switching over to renewable energy. I hope this blog has been informative and has made you think about this issue a little bit more.