Essay Sample on Making the City of Atlanta 100% Green

Introduction

I will like to begin by commending the Atlanta City Council for committing to generate 100 percent of the energy the City consumes from clean renewable sources by 2035 (Buso, 2017). In the same vein, I will like to equally laud the 200 businesses that supported this proposal (Buso, 2017).

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The Council agreed to this pledge by ratifying a Resolution 17-R-3510 - A Resolution by Councilmember Kwanza Hall of The Atlanta City Council to Adopt A Vision Of 100% Clean Energy Powering the City of Atlanta's Needs By 2035; And for Other Purposes - on 17th April 2017. The passing of this resolution is the first step towards reclaiming our City's ecosystem from the damage that burning fossil fuels have been causing. Hopefully, this move will inspire other leaders within the greater state of Georgia and the entire country at large to follow suit.

I am writing to express my backing of this vision, hoping that I will inspire companies operating in Atlanta and members of the public who are skeptical of its benefit to also offer their support to this movement, which is spearheading Atlanta towards implementing clean energy policy. I will, therefore, present evidence to prove that the use of renewable sources to generate energy will provide multiple economic, social, and environmental benefits to our community and businesses.

What is Renewable Energy?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines renewable as energy partly or wholly generated from non-exhausting energy sources, including wind, solar, geothermal and low-impact or small hydro, biomass, biogas, and waste-to-energy, for direct end use or electricity production (p. I-4). The resolution by the Council adopts this definition with a slight varying - the replacement of waste-to-energy with wave technology sources (The City Council of Atlanta, 2017). This classification, thus, affirms the vision's key objective - shifting from the current reliance on fossil fuel.

State of Affairs in Atlanta

The EPA classifies Atlanta as eGRID subregion SRSO (EPA, 2018a). This region gets 75.9% of its energy from burning coal and natural gas compared to a mere 5% of energy from some of the renewable energy sources above: Hydro (2%), wind (0%), biomass (3.5%), solar (0.3%), and geothermal (0%) (EPA, 2018a). Coal and gas account for 64.1% of national fuel mix, while hydro, wind, biomass, and solar provides a respectable 14.6% (EPA, 2018a). Therefore, it is not a surprise our subregion carbon dioxide (CO2) emission rates of 1,089.4 lbs/MWh are quite higher than the national ones of 998.4 lbs/MWh. The region also emits a significant amount of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) (EPA, 2018a). In Georgia alone, coal and gas accounted for 66% of total energy source and only 8% came from renewable sources in 2017 (U.S. Energy Information Administration [EIA], 2018).

Benefits of Using Renewable Energy Sources

Emission Benefits

Generation of power from fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) is the vital source of air pollution, including criteria air pollutants and greenhouse gases (GHGs) (EPA, 2018b). Likewise, GHGs are emitted when refining, processing, and transporting fossil fuels (EPA, 2018b). These pollutants cause multiple environmental issues that are harmful to human health. For instance, they result in poor air quality and climate change (EPA, 2018b).

Criteria Air Pollutants. These pollutants, which include particle pollution, ground-level ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), SO2, NOx, and lead (Pb)" (EPA, 2018b, p. I-11), lower air quality and are harmful to human health. Pollutants like PM, CO, SO2, and NOx are primary pollutants and may directly harm people and the environment or may react with other compounds like the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to form secondary pollutants. For example, a NOx and VOCs O3 reaction could result in O3, which is "a principal component of photochemical smog that can cause coughing, throat irritation, difficulty breathing, lung damage, and can aggravate asthma" (U.S. EPA 2016b EPA, 2018b, p. I-11).

By eliminating fossil fuels, the air quality will improve due to the reducing or avoiding harmful criteria air pollutants, which yields direct and immediate health benefits to people (EPA, 2018b). Air quality improvements can also strengthen ecosystems' health, increase crop and timber yields, and increase visibility (EPA, 2018b).

The reduction in harmful impact to people will, thus, boost "public health by reducing incidences of premature death, asthma attacks, and respiratory and heart disease; avoiding related health costs; and reducing the number of missed school and work days due to illnesses" (EPA, 2018b, p. I-11).

Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs). These are pollutants from fossil fuels that studies indicate may cause cancer, s reproductive effects or birth defects, or adverse environmental effects due to their toxicity (EPA, 2018b). Coal accounts for 42% emission of Mercury, which is the most common HAP, in the U.S. Some of the health problems that mercury causes include brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system complications (EPA, 2018b). The use of renewable energy sources would decrease the use of coal in Georgia. As a result, there will be fewer chances of exposure to adverse health risks (EPA, 2018b).

Greenhouse Gases. These gases, which include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), create an insulating effect in the atmosphere that prevents heat to escape to space (EPA, 2018b). As a result, they cause climate change. Natural GHGs are necessary for keeping the earth warm to support life (EPA, 2018b). However, the levels of GHGs from human activities like producing power are increasing at a higher rate and are affecting the natural balance of GHGs in the atmosphere (EPA, 2018b). Burning fossil fuels to produce power accounts for the largest release of CO2 emissions. The impact of this includes making earth more insulated, hotter, and ultimately causing global warming (EPA, 2018b). The rising levels of GHGs alter the climate system, affecting our health, environment, and economy. For example, climate change can influence crop yields, lead to more frequent extreme heat waves, and make air quality problems worse (EPA, 2018b). Therefore, the use of renewable energy resource will reduce the emission of GHGs, resulting in a healthier atmosphere and clean air accruing people many health benefits (EPA, 2018b).

Regional Haze. The burning of fossil fuels leads to the emission of tiny pollution particles in the air and when sunlight strikes them, they cause haze - reduced visibility (EPA, 2018b). PM pollution is the primary source of poor visibility in the U.S., including national parks (EPA, 2018b). Most of these PMs cause serious health problems and environmental damage. Also, others like nitrates and sulfates lead to the "formation, which makes lakes, rivers, and streams unsuitable for many fish, and erodes buildings, historical monuments, and paint on cars" (EPA, 2018b, p. I-12). Therefore, a policy to use 100% renewable energy will decrease PM pollution, which will reduce haze, prevent acid rain and lower negative health impacts (EPA, 2018b).

Other Benefits

Apart from reducing environmental pollution due to reduced pollutants resulting from burning fossil fuels, implementing a 100% renewable energy policy will also have many economic benefits (EPA, 2018b). Since renewable energy sources are largely inexhaustible, power plants and consumers are shielded from huge costs of adding new generating capacities to the power systems. Also, power supply and prices will remain stable (EPA, 2018b). As a result, people and businesses will enjoy the benefit of a more reliable and secure energy source, which will bring in more economic benefits to our city. These benefits include savings in energy and fuel costs for consumers, businesses, and the government; new employment opportunities in, profits for, and tax revenue from corporations supporting the renewable energy policy, including through building, manufacturing, and servicing the systems; and higher productivity due to reduced need for sick leaves because reduced emissions of pollutants make people healthier (EPA, 2018b).

References

Buso, S. (2017, May 5). Atlanta passes 100 percent clean energy resolution. Retrieved from https://www.usgbc.org/articles/atlanta-passes-100-percent-clean-energy-resolution-usgbc-georgia

The City Council of Atlanta. (2017). A Resolution by Councilmember Kwanza Hall of The Atlanta City Council to Adopt A Vision Of 100% Clean Energy Powering the City of Atlanta's Needs By 2035; And for Other Purposes. Retrieved from City Council of Atlanta website: https://45tkhs2ch4042kf51f1akcju-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/renewable-energy-atlanta.pdf

U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (2018, September 20). U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Retrieved from https://www.eia.gov/

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2018a). Energy and the environment: How clean is the electricity you use? U.S. EPA.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2018b). Part one: The Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Retrieved from U.S. EPA website: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-07/documents/mbg_1_multiplebenefits.pdf