Alternative energy also known as renewable energy is the energy that is considered an alternative to fossil fuels.  More and more, people are demanding cleaner, more sustainable energy, from air to water, to electricity.  A77 percent of Americans believe that developing “alternative energy” is a more important priority right now than producing more fossil fuels.  There seem to be many benefits to alternative energy; like generating energy that produces no greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels and reduces air pollutions.  Diversifying energy supply reduces dependence on imported fuels with.  Renewable energy has a numerous health and environmental benefits, storage capabilities, saves money, and maintenance requirements are lower. Usually with good always comes bad.   Some disadvantages of using renewable energy are a higher up front cost.  Storage capabilities, batteries can only hold so much power for only a certain length of time.  Solar panels do not produce electricity during the night and low amounts of electricity during cloudy and rainy days.   Wind turbines produce clean electricity during the day and also during the night, but only if there is wind.  Renewable energy is produced in small scale compared with the global demand of energy, and to increase the generation capacity in the world up to a level which would count in the global energy mix.  But also, the lives, towns, families, land, and animal’s renewable energy has an effect on.  Not only how it affects us in the United States, but around the world in the wet lands, to the deserts. 

        To minimize negative environmental impact, we need to educate  towns, employees, industries, etc.  We can start be learning about using less energy to get the same job done.  We can learn to avoid single use items, plastic water bottles. Choose organic, from clothes to foods.  Go paper-less , recycle and use recycled products.  Take re-usable bags to the grocery store; make your own household cleaners, Teach our kids to be proud of all they do… no matter what the reaction is from others.  I once heard this African Proverb: “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a room with a mosquito.”

Reference: Holmes, Frank; Forbes – February 21, 2020

I think we are already doing things to minimize the negative environment impact. Companies are working on developing ways to use more environmentally friendly sources and scientist are working on developing products that will also help. In all honesty I believe that new technologies will come along as they always do. I do not think more regulations are needed, I find it interesting that the people who lecture everyone Americans to be more mindful of their “footprints” are the same people heating and cooling giant houses all over the world even when no one is living there and flying around in private jets but our average houses being kept at 70 are the problem and our small cars going to work every day are the problem. If anything needs to change it’s the industrial sector and the top 1%. 

The primary advantage of renewable energy is that fewer potentially harmful emissions are released into the atmosphere. Although fossil fuels are used to create the products that allow for this power to be produced, most forms of renewable energy can become carbon neutral in 5 years or less.

The disadvantage of renewable energy is that it can be costly. Although wind power and solar power have become cost-competitive with coal-fired power and nuclear power in some communities, some forms are not cost-competitive globally yet when the cost per kilowatt hour is compared. 

I feel that more people should plant trees, recycle, buy local produce, and keep your tires inflated to the proper psi. Of course there are many other things that can be done but I feel that these are the easiest things that can be done. 

O.C. Ferrel, J. F. (2019). Business Ethics Ethical Decision Making and Cases 12th Edition. Cengage.