Argument Essay on the Government and Nonrenewable Resources
As the climate crisis worsens to the point of almost no return, it is hard to believe the government isn’t doing everything within their power to protect this earth. In my mind, this can only be boiled down to the idea that not everyone finds value in focusing their attention on the environment. They see benefits in other areas and not necessarily in the long term. I believe there is more the government can and should be doing to end our dependence on non-renewable resources. I believe this because while some government officials in the United States choose to turn a blind eye to our environmental issues, other countries have become successful at eliminating their dependence on these non-renewable resources and have challenged individuals to lead cleaner, more environmentally friendly lives.
There is so much to fight for when it comes to protecting this earth. There is no reason the government shouldn’t be focusing their resources on turning companies green other than the fact that they may lose money. This is actually a pretty big deal in the United States though. Moving away from nonrenewable resources would require a delicate balance between society, companies, and environmental impacts. While going completely green would benefit the earth, it would harm companies and vice versa. That is why the government needs to start enacting more legislation to wean companies off of these harmful nonrenewable resources. Individuals will only use and buy environmentally friendly products if they appear to be the better option in the short term. The government should be able to help transition the people to shop more eco friendly and use resources that don’t cause global warming. The big issue with non-renewable resources is that humans are using them at a faster rate than they can be restored. We drill and mine for these resources causing environmental damage to many different habitats. These resources also release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere causing an increase in world temperatures. Hannah Ritchie, the author of the article titled “How long Before We Run Out of Fossil Fuels”, mentions that we have only about 50 to 100 years before we start running out of fossil fuels and nonrenewable resources we rely on so intensely. It is scary to think that if action isn’t taken now, we may be in a lot of trouble as a country in our own lifetime.
I believe it is possible to distance our country from relying on fossil fuels based on what other countries have done. Costa Rica was actually the first country to ban the use of fossil fuel based products all together. In fact, 99% of their energy comes from renewable sources. Other countries like Sweden and Switzerland are at the top of green living standards thanks to their efforts in minimizing fossil fuel use. These achievements wouldn’t have been possible without the government being able to set laws and enact change. In America, there is a lot of controversy mostly coming down to big companies versus the environment. If it benefits one, it will harm the other. Though this is true, I believe that that sacrifice must be made. There are ways to transition fossil fuel jobs and other harmful occupations to green renewable energy jobs that are just as profitable. Other countries have shown this to be true.
While the United States will have many challenges in the future, it is incredibly important for the government to realize that environmental health should not be seen in terms of “will it be profitable” but instead understand that they should be helping the environment because it is morally right for future generations and for species all around the world that cannot help in the effort to clean our earth. Humans are the issue, but more specifically, big businesses and the government are creating this system of repeated reliance on fossil fuels causing this chain reaction in which we will one day run out of these resources and we will have to be ready.
#Argument
