BP Oil Spill
On April 20, 2010, BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, leading to one of the worst disasters the United States has ever faced. Approximately 840,000 gallons of crude oil is leaking into the Gulf of Mexico every day and efforts to stop the flow of oil have failed at every turn. The ecological and economic consequences of this spill are devastating and will be felt for generations to come. BP and other oil companies are not equipped to handle spills of this magnitude and while they scramble to find ways to stop the flow of oil, the destruction mounts.
Alternative Forms Of Energy
Why are we still so dependent on fossil fuels when there are other alternative forms of energy that are safer to use, have little or no impact on our environment, and are free – such as solar power and wind power? While there is an initial cost for the equipment to generate solar energy and wind power, once you are hooked up, the energy you create is free and it comes from a source that cannot be exhausted. It doesn’t require drilling into the earth to reach the source and it doesn’t emit tons of harmful gases into the atmosphere every day.
The idea of using solar power or wind power is not new. However, as the cost of energy derived from fossil fuels continues to rise and as we face the reality of disasters such as the once caused by the BP oil spill, we begin to understand how important it is to implement safer and cleaner ways to supply energy to our homes and businesses.
Convenience is always a factor when it comes to switching from one type of energy to another. We’re all connected to the electric grid and on top of electricity, many people use oil or gas to heat their homes. We are used to having the utility companies supply energy to our homes and we willingly pay the costs for this convenience. However, as energy costs continue to rise we complain constantly, yet continue to allow ourselves to pay more and more each year for dirty energy. There is an alternative wherein each of us could generate our own free energy, yet very few of us take advantage of it.
Technology continues to advance in leaps and bounds and tapping into renewable energy resources is not as far-fetched or costly as it once was. We get to choose which type of energy we want to use in our homes and businesses and if we continue to allow ourselves to be dependent on energy derived from fossil fuels, then it is highly likely that we will face more disasters in the future such as the one caused by the BP oil spill.
Choosing renewable energies is a smart choice not only because it saves money, but because it’s clean and safe. As more and more people choose clean energy, our dependence on fossil fuels diminishes.
