How can the United States lessen its dependence on fossil fuels(2)
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How can the United States lessen
its dependence on fossil fuels?
Jose Guzman
Semantically, fossil fuels are a renewable energy source, but although it takes millions of years
for organic materials to be broken down and converted, this is entirely unrealistic. As the demand
for fossil fuels rises and supplies run out faster than they can replenish, Both technically and
practically, the United States must strive for renewable energy independence through the use of
genuinely renewable sources. With changes in the home, as consumers purchase goods and
alternative fuel sources backed by public trust and governmental involvement, the United States
could reduce its reliance on foreign and domestic fossil fuels.
The most significant impact on reducing reliance on fossil fuels may begin at home. There are
devices all around us that consume energy even when we do nothing with them. These devices in
standby power mode, colloquially known as "vampire power," continue to consume energy
because they are never indeed "off." According to Ross and Meier (2001), the average household
can have up to 40 different devices. Clocks, microwaves, DVD players, and televisions all
consume energy, accounting for between 5% and 26% of total electricity consumption in a
household – energy likely produced at the cost of burning fossil fuels, both in the production of
the electricity and in the transportation of the fuels themselves.
Whether for new or retrofit construction, every choice can result in energy savings, energy
derived primarily from fossil fuels. A typical household LED replacement for a 60w light lasts
approximately 50,000 hours. Assuming that an incandescent could also last that long, it would
consume about 3,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh), whereas the LED would consume approximately
one-tenth of that. The capacity is 300 kWh. One kWh hour requires slightly more than one pound
of coal to produce, so replacing one light bulb could save approximately 1.35 tons of coal over
five years. When we use oil as the power source, the figures are 240 gallons versus 24 gallons.
Additionally, increased effective insulation, high-performance windows, tight construction, and
ductwork to seal the house's envelope with better heating and cooling systems can reduce a
home's energy consumption, reducing electricity demand and resulting in a reduction in reliance
on fossil fuels. Aside from that, the addition of geothermal heating, solar panels, or wind capture
can enable a house to operate entirely off the grid or at net-positive energy consumption.
While specific initiatives, such as the international standard for energy-efficient consumer
products, Energy Star, and better home construction, have reduced the draw of devices in
standby power mode, this only addresses the 'last mile of the problem. Further upstream, we
continue to consume fossil fuels at a rate that exceeds their natural replenishment, necessitating
their natives. Prevention and reuse are the most applicable core tenants in the waste life-cycle
hierarchy to reducing the United States' reliance on fossil fuels. Avoid consumption by avoiding
production. Reuse comes in just below prevention. Instead of producing something that will be
used once and then discarded, use the item multiple times before disposing of it.
A plastic shopping bag versus a cloth shopping bag is a perfect example of this. In 2008, the
United States used 380 billion plastic bags, according to the EPA. With 100 million bags
requiring approximately 430,000 gallons of oil in production alone – excluding transportation –
this equates to nearly 1.6 billion gallons of oil consumed. Consider how much oil we saved each
time a cloth bag is used and then reused. Disposable diapers versus cloth diapers are another
excellent example of reuse versus produce. one cup of crude oil is required To make enough
plastic for one disposable diaper (Aumonier, 2005). The average baby uses between 4,000 and
6,500 diapers, and Each child would need 250 to 400 gallons of oil. (Why choose cloth diapers?)
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 3,952,841 births in
2012 alone. Even on the conservative side, that works out to 1 billion gallons of oil consumed in
fossil fuel consumption, based solely on production. It isn't easy to imagine cloth diapers not
having a significant impact on the United States' reliance on fossil fuels. One of the simplest
ways to reduce dependence is to reduce consumption, useless, require less. Does it make sense,
for example, to cultivate an apple in China and then ship it by boat to the United States, where it
is then moved by train to the heart of America?
Then a semi-truck across already congested highway infrastructure to the nearest "supercenter"
grocery store? Every step of this food chain comes at an actual cost in terms of fossil fuels. If
that apple had been Locally grown, a journey of over 6,500 fossil-fuel-burning miles might have
been avoided by a factor of ten, thirty, or fifty. Even if the apple were cultivated on a national
scale, Again, fractions of the energy required to move the apple are being reduced. In addition to
these factors, Chaos theory demonstrates how these limited options increase our use and
dependence on fossil fuels; the travel period for any car on the road is a prime example as we
pack more semi-trucks on the road for us to move that apple. Daylight hours are spent on the
streets, requiring more coal to be burned to generate electricity to turn on the lights, which
necessitates even more transpiration of one fossil fuel to burn another fossil fuel!.
The Association of American Railroads recently reported that the combined railroads in the
United States moved a ton of freight at an average
load of cargo at an estimated distance of 476
miles per gallon of fuel (AAR, 213), a 100 percent increase since 1980. Simultaneously,
Forkenbrock (1999) reported an average freight ton-mile per gallon of 130. A government
agency, The Surface Transportation Board (2012), concurs with these figures and has
consistently said that rail is four times more efficient than a truck. If we move 10% of long-
distance freight tonnage from truck to rail, annual fuel savings would be nearly one billion
gallons (Ogburn et al., 2008).
The cost of fuel consumption is baked into the price of all goods, raising the price of goods,
raising the price of fuels, and further depleting fuel reserves – not all of which we have direct
control over. Still, each of these causes and effects demonstrates our reliance on fossil fuels and
steps to take in the supply chain to reduce them. The closer goods are to the point of sale or
consumption, the less reliant we are on infrastructure and the power that moves it, and thus the
less reliant the United States is on fossil fuels. In the case of longer-distance transportation of
goods, a more fuel-efficient mode of transportation would also significantly contribute to
reducing dependence through consumption. In addition, When the demand for goods falls, so
does the energy required to manufacture and transport them.
Despite all of the previous suggestions for reduction or prevention, there will always be a need
for energy that will never go away and will only grow. The goal is to transition to entirely
renewable fuel sources. Wind, hydro, solar, biofuel, and – to a lesser extent – nuclear have all
made tremendous strides in the last 20 years. By broadening acceptance of these technologies,
the United States will reduce its reliance on fossil fuels providing an alternative.
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The Alta Wind Energy Center is located in Kern County, California, in the Tehachapi Pass. It is
the world's largest wind farm at the moment. With a capacity of around 1,300 megawatts (MW),
it is comparable to a nuclear power plant or a medium to a large coal-fired plant. A typical 500
MW coal-burning plant requires approximately 1.43 million tons of coal for one year of
operation, implying that this wind farm prevents about 3.78 million tons of coal from being
depleted – demonstrating wind's viability as a viable alternative to fossil fuel consumption and
reliance.
On the solar front, the United States is also home to the world's largest solar farm currently in
operation. The Topaz Solar Farm, also in California, is a 550 MW project producing clean,
renewable energy. Since February 2013, renewable energy has been used with no reliance on
fossil fuels, keeping approximately 1.5 million tons of coal in the ground and out of coal plants
last year, with this year on track to exceed that figure (Topaz Solar Farm, 2014).
Converting the country from foreign and domestic fossil fuels to locally produced or stored
energy necessitates the participation of two groups: the general public and the government. This
will incentivize the public's acceptance and the government's assistance and oversight.
Companies to build out costly infrastructure for wind, solar, or other renewable energy sources
with proper governmental support, tax breaks, and legal involvement with government
regulations such as the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requiring lower energy
consumption across vehicle lines with specific timelines, it can achieve a reduced reliance once
again through lower demand.
Having gained the public's trust and having a favorable opinion of wind farms, solar farms,
electric vehicles, and $20 light bulbs, more consumers will spend money on products that reduce
the country's reliance on fossil fuels. However, for many people, spending 10% more on a
vehicle or ten times as much on a light bulb upfront is a difficult challenge, even if the consumer
will save money over the product's life. – it simply isn't how a typical "bottom-line" driven
economy works, and it may require government assistance... or at the very least good marketing.
1.6 billion in plastic bags, 1 billion in diapers, and another 1 billion in truck-to-rail conversions
are included in the figures for oil consumption alone. – 3.6 billion in total – how can such a large
annual number not have an immediate and noticeable impact on the United States' reliance on
fossil fuels? When used in conjunction with energy-saving products such as Energy Star
compliant electric devices and home control materials, as well as alternative fuel vehicles,
Finally, with renewable energy sources all backed by federal and state government support, it is
conceivable that this would reduce the United States' reliance on fossil fuels to the point of being
nearly done.
Sources:
The American Railroads Association (2013). The freight railroads in the United States average
476 ton-miles-per-gallon. [News release] https://www.aar.org/news and events/Press-
Release/Pages/The-Nation's-Freight-Railroads-Average-476-Ton-Miles-Per-Gallon.aspx
S. Aumonier (2005). In the United Kingdom, the life cycle of disposable and reusable nappies
have been assessed. Environment Age, Almondsbury, England
D. J. Forkenbrock (1999). Intercity truck freight transportation has external costs. Part A: Policy
and Practice, Transportation Research Part A, 33(7), 505-526.
M. Ogburn, L. Ramroth, and A. B. Lovins (2008). Determine the energy efficiency limits of a
class-8 tractor-trailer with transformational trucks. Snowmass, Colorado-based Rocky Mountain
Institute.
J. P. Ross and A. Meier (2001). Standby power consumption is measured throughout the house.
In terms of Energy Efficiency in Home Appliances and Lighting (pp. 278-285). Heidelberg:
Springer Berlin.