The Importance of Limiting Carbon Emissions

The Earth is billions of years old with an atmosphere

that protects a vibrant ecosystem maintaining a variety of

life; however, in the last one hundred years the quality of

the environment has been declining and living organisms are

paying the price. The atmosphere is very important in not only

protecting life on Earth but in the stability of the planet

itself. In the last one hundred years, this stability has been

compromised. The Earth has suffered sufficient damage due to

carbon emissions. The industrial age ushered in changes that

seemingly moved mankind forward in the name of technology but

has been the result of increased carbon emissions and wasteful

energy usage. Unfortunately, before the effects were noticed,

the damage was done. However, the effects of carbon emissions

are reversible if the correct solutions are taken seriously

and implemented soon. Due to the many detrimental effects of

carbon emissions, America should focus its efforts on

alternative methods of energy obtainment as a pathway to a

cleaner and more efficient future for all of humanity.

A large contributor of carbon emissions is the use of

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fossil fuels in electricity production and vehicles. The

United States consists of 5% of the human population, yet

contributes to 25% of the world's carbon emissions (Carbon

Nation). Carbon emissions come from household use of

electricity, vehicles, factories and the burning of coal,

gases and oil. The effects of such usage may not have been

noticed for a long time; however, the planet is now

experiencing changes that can only be explained by increased

carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Throughout history humans have used many processes and

machinery that contribute to increased carbon dioxide and

greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. One of the most

detrimental processes is hydraulic fracturing, also known as

fracking. Fracking is a method that is used to obtain natural

gas and oil. Natural gas does produce less carbon than burning

oil and coal; however, the method of obtaining natural gas is

a problem. During hydraulic fracturing, thousands of chemicals

are pumped into the ground and as a result landscapes are

altered and homes can be exposed to contaminated groundwater.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, hydraulic

fracturing is suspected to be the culprit of polluted drinking

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water in Arkansas, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia,

West Virginia and Wyoming. The residents have reported changes

in water quality soon after hydraulic fracturing had taken

place (“Risky Gas Drilling Threatens Health, Water Supplies”).

Julia Bonds, one of the last people to move from her Home in

West Virginia, spoke of suffocating clouds of coal dust, dead

fish and her grandson of seven years old even had an escape

route planned. Mountain-top removal mining has since buried

seven hundred miles of Appalachian streams (Nijhuis). The

negative effects of coal mining and fracking for natural gas

and oil are hardly worth the price of needing to evacuate

entire regions and polluting natural water supplies.

As a result of mankind’s history of

carbon overload, the eco-system is

suffering as well. Oxygen levels in

the ocean have dropped exponentially,

resulting in what is referred to as a

dead zone. Off the coast of Oregon is

one such dead zone the size of New

Jersey. Thousands of creatures have

died due to the extremely low oxygen levels. Climate modeling

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predicted these occurrences in 2002 and scientists have no

idea whether the effects are reversible (Carbon Nation). Many of

these dead zones exist throughout the world. The prospect is

quite frightening due to the fact that more than half of the

world's oxygen comes from algae and phytoplankton within the

ocean. Figure one shows areas off the coast of Oregon that are

affected. The effects of carbon emissions are very apparent if

one knows what they are looking at and understand how volatile

the environment is. A perfect balance of compounds is required

in order to maintain an atmosphere that is stable for

maintaining all life forms within the ecosystem. As it stands,

these compounds are not in balance and the planet is suffering

the effects; melting polar ice caps, erratic weather and

carbon dioxide levels that are alarmingly higher than what is

considered to be safe parts per million (ppm) in the

atmosphere. The safe zone for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

is three hundred fifty ppm. NASA scientists were asked what

they thought about the four hundred ppm mark the atmosphere

has now reached. According to Dr. Michael Gunson, "Passing the

four hundred mark reminds me that we are on an inexorable

march to four hundred fifty ppm and much higher levels. The

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world is quickening the rate of accumulation of CO2, and has

shown no signs of slowing this down. It should be a

psychological tripwire for everyone." Dr. Erika Podest agrees

with Dr. Gunson and states that the rise in CO2 levels in the

last five decades should be a wakeup call. It is a threat to

life on Earth and humans cannot afford to stand by and watch

(“NASA Scientists React to 400 Ppm Carbon Milestone”). The

devastating effects of carbon emissions can be seen and felt

in the environment. The question is what can be done about it?

Fortunately for mankind, there are many solutions that

can easily be implemented to assist in limiting carbon

emissions. Many of these solutions are beneficial for the

environment, promote job growth and contribute to economic

growth. George Johnson, a writer for National Geographic talks

about solar energy and a company called Nevada Solar One. The

company built solar panels in the desert in 2007. On a clear

sunny day these panels harness 21% of the suns energy. Johnson

states gas plants are more efficient; however, this energy is

clean and free, powering 14,000 homes. In addition, wind power

is one of the most lucrative of all renewable energies. A

small town called Roscoe, Texas was near economic collapse. In

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this dying town, there were no jobs left and many people had

moved away. The wind energy program brought new life to this

ghost town. Residents who had left returned for jobs building

turbines. Roscoe, Texas now boasts the largest wind farm in

the world with over four hundred land owners sharing in the

wind turbine project. Their wind farm powers over 250,000

homes and the owners make 15,000 dollars per turbine, per year

(Carbon Nation). Roscoe has reaped many benefits as a community

from the wind energy project and the wealth is spreading

throughout all of Texas. As stated by Dr. Lester R. Brown, “It

is projected that by 2025, Texas will have 38,000 megawatts of

wind energy capacity-the equivalent of 38 coal-fired power

plants. This will satisfy ninety percent of the current

residential electricity needs of the state’s 25 million

people” (118). The facts show that wind energy and solar

energy are a powerful start for efficient and economical

progress for the future.

Furthermore, there are many jobs to be gained from

resorting to renewable energy sources, further aiding in

economic growth. Grid Alternatives is a non-profit company

that installs solar panels with low interest loans provided by

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the city. In turn, these panels produce energy that can

generate revenue for the participants. Not only does this

company provide jobs for people, paroles included, it helps

low income families generate their own income (Carbon Nation).

Van Jones, a major advocate for green energy and bringing

renewable energy to low income families was asked his thoughts

about green energy jobs and whether they are a viable choice

for average Americans. According to Mr. Jones, these jobs are

readily available and a degree is not needed. He states that

the National Renewable Energy Lab, an employer for green

opportunities, cannot find enough workers to meet the

requirements for all the projects they currently have underway

(Ariel). This is great news for the environment and Americans,

who suffer from a severe difference in socioeconomic status.

Alternative energy can help bridge this gap by providing

income for families via renewable energy and ensuring jobs for

the American people.

America isn’t the only country that can profit from

renewable energy opportunities. Germany also looks forward to

profiting from the green energy movement. Deputy chancellor

Sigmar Gabriel was interviewed about his thoughts on Germany’s

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economic policies on renewable energy. He believes it is

Germany’s most important project for the future due to

reducing reliance upon foreign oil, protecting their climate

and transitioning into new technologies and job growth. He

believes that Germany will be a leading example of renewable

energy and its economic success (Orth). Germany has already

benefitted from job growth and new technologies. Some days, so

much wind and solar energy is produced in Germany that it

needs to be given away. If every country were to implement

renewable energy goals and meet them, there would be a wealth

of energy, economic success and jobs for all.

Green energy supporters

also argue the importance of

implementation of carbon control

processes. Renewable energy is

not the only way to control

carbon output and certain

measures need to be taken to control emissions. Figure two

emphasizes the need for trees in order for life to thrive.

Trees sequester carbon in the air as they grow. Home Depot

funded the planting of three hundred thousand trees;

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unfortunately, a single medium coal plant operating for ten

days completely negates the entirety of a tree farm this size

(Carbon Nation). Deforestation is a vast contributor to carbon in

the atmosphere, adding as much as burning fossil fuels itself.

China, Thailand and the Philippines have all had to implement

partial or complete bans on logging due to floods and

mudslides as a result of deforestation. If deforestation is

limited or eradicated and tree farms are relied upon as a

primary source of wood products, this will assist in lowering

carbon emissions. As it stands, 1.5 billion tons of carbon is

released into the air each year from deforestation (Brown

137). Many people do not think about the effects of cutting

down thousands of acres of forests; they assume that more

trees will grow. Unfortunately, trees cannot be grown fast

enough to replace the hundreds of years old trees being cut

down.

A little known fact is that a massive amount of carbon

can be retained in the soil just by using grassland control

methods. Soil holds large amount of carbon within the ground;

when the ground is tilled this carbon is released from the

soil and into the atmosphere. Furthermore, when farmers use

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pesticides, this kills a beneficial fungi called mychorrhizal

fungi. Mychorrhizal fungi retains carbon in the soil, reaching

much deeper than the roots of the crops they coexist with.

When farmers use tillers to farm the land this rips up the

fragile fungi and releases carbon into the air. Simple steps

such as fewer pesticides, no tillage when planting and

planting diverse amounts of plants in one soil area can reduce

carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by 50 ppm (Carbon Nation). With

the vast amount of farming America does, especially in the

Midwest, these practices could quickly and easily be put into

place and begin the journey of lowering carbon emissions.

While it is true that Americans could begin to utilize

these processes themselves, it does not follow that all the

changes can be made by the average Joe. Lawmakers play a key

role in the future of the Earth. Whether leaders care to admit

whether or not the environment is in danger, it is their duty

to address such issues. They have the ability to require

recycling bins in all neighborhoods, the authority to tax high

carbon emitting companies and the duty of educating the

general population of the importance of carbon control. As

stated by Lester. R Brown, “The key to restructuring the

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economy means putting a tax on carbon to reflect the full cost

of burning fossil fuels. If the world is to move onto a

sustainable path, we need economists who will calculate

indirect costs and work with political leaders to incorporate

them into market structures by restructuring taxes” (184). In

short, the companies creating the most carbon should be taxed

based upon their carbon output, thus creating an incentive to

look for other solutions. Lawmakers have the ability to begin

to move America in this direction.

Common sense seems to dictate that a clean environment

requires clean processes and a culture fueled with knowledge.

With solar, wind and geothermal energy sources as options, the

need for hydraulic fracturing could be eliminated. Citizens

would not have to worry about contaminated water sources or

dirty air in coal mining areas if all possible renewable

energies were utilized in areas they are prevalent to. Instead

of waste merely being tossed into landfills, alternatively,

said waste can be recycled to create energy. If recycling

products were made a way of life, most of what is leftover

would be considered biomass. At North Carolina Agricultural

and Technical State University, Dr. Lijun Wang is in charge of

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researching the utilization of biomass to create energy.

According to Dr. Wang, using biomass could turn expenses into

a source of revenue and contribute to the reuse of waste

(Harold). Waste conversion and recycling is a paramount step

towards carbon control and a cleaner environment.

Unfortunately, here in America recycling is not easily

accessible to most citizens nor are they educated about the

importance and impact it could have on them, the environment

and future generations.

Few people realize that buildings are one of the largest

contributors to carbon emissions and usage of natural

resources (Iwaro). They run on almost constant air

conditioning or heating. Buildings need to be remodeled for

energy conservation and new buildings need to be built with

solar panels and other means of carbon control. Buildings

account for more than forty percent of greenhouse gas

emissions, due mostly to natural gas usage and nuclear power

(Carbon Nation). Architect Bob Fox and Company worked with Bank

of America to renovate their building; the effect was a

building that ran at half the energy (Carbon Nation). A large

amount of funds were used to make the building green friendly;

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however, due to the savings, the company made the money back

in just a couple of years. Build it Green is a non-profit

company that assists in constructing new buildings utilizing

green energy or remodeling of existing buildings. In their

disclaimer they go over the cost and benefits of constructing

a green building. The company states the costs to remodel

towards energy efficiency are almost always the equivalent of

a standard remodeling. If the costs are higher, the benefits

in the end result in energy savings (“Home Remodeling: Green

Building Guidelines). Building renovations and remodeling

towards energy efficient businesses, malls and other

structures is capable of generating thousands of jobs for

people. Two deeds could be done with one cause, job creation

and promoting a green environment.

Alternatively, fossil fuel advocates often argue that

renewable energy is not a feasible change and that fossil

fuels are the future. Advocates for fossil fuels state that

renewable energy cannot meet energy requirements and that

there are no incentives for companies to implement such a

costly expenditure. The opposition argues that not every area

can utilize wind power, solar power or geothermal power.

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Fossil fuel advocates are correct in both categories; however,

measures can be taken to add incentives and renewable energies

should be harnessed that are prevalent to specific areas. For

example, Texas is an ideal place for wind power, whereas the

desert is ideal for solar power. All places on the Earth have

access to at least one producer of renewable energy. Many

towns across America that have already made the change to

renewable energy. Roscoe, Texas is already a testament to the

power and profitability of green energy. Another example is

Burlington, Vermont, population forty two thousand; a town

currently obtaining all their energy via wind, water and

biomass. Ken Nolan, the manager of power resources, stated

that the prices in Burlington are stable and not tied to

fossil fuels at all (Largest City in Vermont Now Gets All Its

Power From Wind, Water and Biomass). It is up to smaller

government to create climate action plans. One such city in

the United States that has done this is in Boulder, Colorado.

Boulder has been producing their energy from renewable sources

since 1985. They also have a three part renewable energy

program (City of Boulder Colorado). These are just a few

examples of successful cities within America that have

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utilized renewable energy and reaped the benefits.

Also, arguably, incentives for advocating and utilizing

renewable energy are easily implemented. Lawmakers hold the

key for the first step. Incentives such as tax cuts for large

businesses who utilize green energy can be put in place and

businesses that produce more carbon can be taxed higher or

penalized. Incentives for home owners could include waste

pickup cutbacks. For example, a home that recycles most

products will produce less waste and therefore their bill

would be lower. The waste pick-up bill could be based upon

gross weight of total waste picked up for each household. In

reality the biggest changes will be made by policy holders.

Ms. Janet Laughlin states in her dissertation, “According to

conventional economic theory, renewable energy will achieve

greater market penetration once it is cost-competitive with

conventional generation. This dissertation concludes, however,

that government policy is the most significant causal variable

in determining the development and diffusion of wind energy

technology.” There are already some incentives set in place by

the local, state and federal government. Local incentives

include property tax exemptions for renewable source

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installations. Some state incentives include net metering,

which means homeowners receive credit for producing more

energy than used. The federal government also offers tax

credits towards renewable energy improvements (Office of

Energy and Planning). It would appear that all levels of

government are aware that renewable energy deserves

incentives; however, these incentives must be strengthened.

Green energy advocates universally agree that incentives are

of the utmost importance in beginning the green energy front

for businesses and that lawmakers must begin these initiatives

with sound, clear laws.

Supporters of fossil fuels claim that green energy

implementation costs are too high and there is little, to no

profit in it. Such supporters are Koch Industries and the

American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC for short. ALEC

is an influential lobbying group often caught in the middle of

clean energy arguments. ALEC themselves have stated that

homeowners with solar panels are “free riders on the system,”

thus emphasizing that there is, in fact, profit to be made

from renewable energy (Phillips). Unfortunately, opposition

such as ALEC and Koch are more interested in corporate profit,

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rather than the profit of the environment and the average Joe.

There is at least one profit that is quite obvious and should

be for all inhabitants of Earth; saving the environment from

substantial degradation from carbon emissions. While the costs

may be large, there are many success stories of businesses

profiting from the green energy movement. Walt Disney Company

has long been a supporter for environmental protection and

lowering carbon emissions. This company has created an

internal carbon tax, making all divisions pay for emitting

carbon. It inspires employees to use less energy and create

less carbon. In the process Disney has saved billions within

their parks by utilizing green energy and conserving energy

where it can. Dow chemicals has also spent one billion dollars

on energy efficiency since 1994 and has profited nine billion

dollars in energy savings (Carbon Nation). Another successful

business story is Stony Field Farm, an organic yogurt company,

who built a waste treatment plant due to surpassing the

capacity of the local waste water systems. They trap gases

created by the waste and use said gas to operate their

facility. They took something that cost them money and turned

it into a literal profit center. The savings of green energy

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might not be immediately apparent but many of these companies

had been moving forward with plans for over a decade. In the

end, profits have certainly been made and initially this is

the end goal for all companies. These are all profits that can

be made by the corporate giant; however, smaller businesses

and homeowners can easily profit as well by utilizing solar

and wind energy.

Ultimately, what is at stake here is the very existence

of mankind. Humans cannot continue on the path to carbon

production without ensuring their inevitable demise. Nature

takes in about half of the carbon humans produce, the other

half continues to heat up the planet. If solutions are not

implemented soon, humans could be looking at disappearing

coral reefs, spreading deserts, and the chilling of the

British Isles and Scandinavia, while the rest of the world

heats up (Appenzeller). Adversely, mankind needs to become

producers of energy, not consumers. It is very apparent that

there are many issues with America’s current energy

utilization; however, many companies are already setting the

example and moving forward in the direction that will rectify

these problems. The future holds many clean energy options

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full of promise for profit, the planet and large economic

growth. Many of these solutions will cost a substantial amount

of money to implement but the profits that can be generated

down the road far surpass the cost now. Education is pertinent

in beginning to make a cultural change that will convince

citizens to join in and begin to recycle and knowingly reduce

carbon emissions. The more households that are on board, the

more the effects will be seen for future generations. In

summarization, as what is considered to be one of the greatest

countries in the world, America has the responsibility to set

an example by beginning to make changes in the environment and

implement laws that will ensure the future of the planet.

All of the sources in which I have used in my paper have been

cited using MLA documentation. I understand that if SAFE

ASSIGN identifies any sources that I used in my paper that I

did not cite, I will receive a zero for this paper.

Nancy Chenoah Findley 11/05/2014

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Brown, Lester. World on Edge. New York: W. W Norton 7 Company, 2011.

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Carbon Nation. Dir. Peter Byck. 2010. Earth School Education

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