texas | Go Green Go

Why You Should Care About Texas Carbon Emissions

By: Ali N, Brady B, Brianna C, Caitlyn G, Taylor A

The state of Texas uses a total of 707 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. This number is quite disturbing for various reasons. Not only do we lead the country in carbon emissions, but we also lead by a wide margin. The second most amount of carbon emissions is in the state of California with a total of 359. Keep in mind too that California has a little over 39 million people that live in their state and Texas has 29 million. https://www.eia.gov/state/rankings/?sid=TX#/series/101

This statistic shouldn’t be discouraging but rather motivating because it makes it exceedingly clear that we need to transition our energy use. This is a problem that we can solve together as a unified state. Texas has strong pride and we just need to find a way to use that attitude for a positive outcome. Our campaign is focused on providing clear and evidential facts on the details of climate change.

Another mind-blowing statistic is that Texas has a total energy production of 20,421 trillion btu. The second most in the country is Pennsylvania at 8,987 trillion btu. Let’s really take some time to digest this information and think about why this isn’t talked about. The total energy production and carbon emissions in Texas are literally in a category of their own. This problem is significant but going green can greatly assist in slowing down carbon emissions. https://www.eia.gov/state/rankings/?sid=TX#/series/101

The reason this information is kept quiet is because fossil fuels is the backbone of the Texas Economy. Whenever money is involved the truth seems to be less significant. Let’s do our best to challenge the fossil fuel industry with facts and peacefully combat their disinformation.Texas is unfortunately a massive threat to the environment and it’s incredibly important for people to be informed of the truth. The first step in solving a problem is recognizing it.

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