Dear Future President,

Since the Industrial Revolution, humans have relied on fossil fuels to power an
ever-moving society. Although fossil fuels have continued to provide a source of power for the
innovative global community, their use comes with a multitude of issues, the most significant
being the destruction of the Earth’s protective ozone layer.
Some believe that the burning of fossil fuels is a necessary part of powering the
population. This group defends their point by arguing that the use of fossil fuels is much less
expensive than alternative sources of energy, such as solar or hydroelectric power. According to
Bloomberg, “​The median cost of producing so-called baseload power that is available all the
time from natural gas, coal and atomic plants was about $100 a megawatt-hour for 2015
compared with about $200 for solar.” The cost of using solar energy is twice as much as the cost
of burning fossil fuels for energy. The price difference of the energy sources also has made the
use of renewable energy impractical and out of reach of those families that may not be able to
afford expensive renewable energy. This argument is logical in some respects. The cost disparity
in different sources of energy has indeed made the consumption of renewable energy exclusive
to wealthier people. Inexpensive fossil fuels are much more accessible by all people, and in
everyone’s price range. With the outrageous costs of energy already, and the stress of paying the
electric bill, people do not have the money or the time to buy and install a more “green” power
source.
Others would argue that because of the detrimental effects of the burning of fossil fuels
on the environment, an effort should be made by the global community to make the switch to
renewable energy sources. The emission of greenhouse gases that comes as a result of burning
fossil fuels is destroying the Earth’s ozone layer. The purpose of the ozone layer is to protect the
planet from the Sun’s dangerous UV waves. Without this protective layer, the dangerous rays of
the sun will penetrate Earth’s atmosphere, causing an extreme increase in the global climate. The
early effects of greenhouse gas emission can already be seen today, as climate change and global
warming are persistent issues of the global society. If the switch to renewable energy is not
made, the planet could become uninhabitable. According to National Geographic, i​f greenhouse
gas emissions are not reduced, rising temperatures and humidity wrought by global warming
could expose hundreds of millions of people worldwide to potentially lethal heat stress by 2060.
Something in the way we power our society must be changed, and it must change soon. The
price of energy sources will no longer be relevant in 40 years when millions of people are dying
due to heat stress and extreme temperatures. If the switch to renewable energy is made, everyone
will benefit, and a safe, inhabitable world can be maintained for the next generation​ of young
innovators.
Although it is in everyone's best interest to pay as little as possible for power, it is not in
our best interest to continue to destroy the only planet we have. Everyone looks for a good deal,
but costs will not matter when the Earth's temperature is so high that people are dying by the end
of this century. Everyone can agree that life is beautiful and its purpose is self-discovery among
other things. If the burning of fossil fuels and the release of greenhouse gases continues down the
path it is currently headed, there will no longer be a world for us to find ourselves in, because the
world itself will no longer be inhabitable. ​ Regardless of the short term benefits of the burning of
fossil fuels-- its inexpensive cost included-- the human population must begin the switch to
renewable sources of energy if we should ever hope to leave behind a beautiful and inhabitable
planet for our children.