Top 1 Environmental Issue Pick

Top  Environmental Issue 

     I believe the biggest issue facing our civilization is about replacing fossil fuel energy with renewable clean energy. Brown lists “cut carbon dioxide emissions 80 percent by 2020” first in his book Plan B 4.0 (Brown, 2009). Cutting straight to the point, revamping energy generation is how we do this, at its core. The problem is simple; we use fossil fuels to create massive amounts of energy. The result is a buildup of greenhouse gasses, which creates a “greenhouse effect,” or global warming.  The solution; we need to create massive amounts of renewable, clean energy to take its place. Displacing 80 percent of fossil fuel energy WILL reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent.  This is a multi-faceted solution. We need more efficiency, persons in “first-world” countries need to get real about what they “need,” and we need to build green infrastructure like crazy. I know this is not without major problems itself and technology can be our friend here. We can be very innovative.

            The reason I choose energy as the most important topic is because energy is a solution to many problems. It is with this energy that we have large scale farming to feed the planet. This energy can MAKE clean water from seawater for many cities, leaving water available for agriculture. Distributing energy to poverty-stricken places can mean a light bulb to work by or learn by at night. (Of course, along with eliminating poverty.) Education is huge factor in change.

            Currently, only the wealthiest in the world have clear access to energy sources. It is a dividing line between the wealthy and the poor. My generation in the U.S. has been the worst at taking more than its share. My lifestyle is shameful compared to what is really necessary (and I have taken many efforts to improve that.) Clean, affordable energy everywhere can change the world. Perhaps I am too much of a Star Trek fan, but, fiction or not, I can envision a place where we help each other to reach our best selves.   

As Brown states in Plan B 4.0, all my “top three” issues are intertwined. No one thing can fix this mess. I chose energy, but that alone won’t save civilization.

References

Brown, L. R. (2009). Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to save civilization.