The Need for Texas to Switch to Green Energy
By: Brady Brooks
Green Texas? sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it… The state that prides itself on oil fields, cowboy boots, ranches and hating liberals needs to take a progressive approach, how shameful! The fact of the matter though is that the necessity of this transformation is more crucial than it’s ever been before. We are at a point where the repercussions of burning fossil fuels will be irreversible for our environment. The state that is notorious for it’s oil economy needs to transition to renewable energy now and here is why:
Climate Change
When fossil fuels are burned they release large quantities of carbon dioxide into the air. These carbon emissions then trap heat into our atmosphere resulting in global warming. This predicament with the fossil fuel industry is more vital than it’s ever been before. The economy of Texas is based off of oil and natural gas and this is why it’s essential for us to challenge these traditions.
Recent Snow Storm
Texas just experienced a disastrous blizzard that put thousands of citizens out of water and electricity. This was an horrendous experience for Texas as a whole but luckily it made the issue of climate change more of a discussion. The power outages that happened throughout the state were a direct result of Texas being too reliant on fossil fuels. About 88 percent of the energy in Texas is powered by fossil fuels and that energy proved to be unsustainable.
Ways to help
- Power your home with a utility company that mostly uses wind and solar energy
- Pull the plug on technology devices when they are not being used
- Limit the water usage! take shorter showers and for God’s sake turn off the sink water when your brushing your teeth (I know it’s difficult to remember sometimes)
- Try to limit how much you use air-conditioning. Weatherizing your home can help profoundly
- Invest in energy-efficient appliances
- Limit food waste!
- Use energy-efficient vehicles and it doesn’t have to be a Tesla because a Prius is just as fabulous.
The most important thing we can do as a state is to vocalize these issues and peacefully protest the fossil fuel industry. With the power of social media and other communication platforms we can unite in this fight together. There’s power in numbers and the more people that challenge this tradition the more effective the movement will be. It’s a problem that has been going on for way too long and its our time to stop it.
Resources:
https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
https://www.globalchange.gov/climate-change
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/02/17/us/winter-storm-weather-live