The True Cost of Green Energy

Following the election of Donald Trump, many climate change voters were up in arms about the potential roll back to EPA regulations. The amount of carbon in the air was going to continue to climb, and many felt powerless to the resurgence of coal, oil, and natural gas. However, it should have come to no shock that this shift away from Obama's climate reform was inevitable. The simple fact remains that until climate advocates can prove the benefits of green policy out way the costs in the PRESENT, the US, and the world, will live in a fossilefuelniverse.

The mainstream way to control rising levels of carbon in the atmosphere, according to the left, has been to advocate for government spending and research into new forms of energy such as solar, wind, water, etc. This policy has proved to be extremely effective in places where there is plenty of sun or wind, such as California and Massachusetts. However, too many people are being left behind. As Americans stop using coal and natural gas, workers who spend their whole careers in the fossil fuel industry suffer. Blue collar workers in places like West Virginia and Pennsylvania lost government funding, and, most importantly, jobs. Over the past several years, many coal companies have filed for bankruptcy-under the crushing blows dealt by environmental policy. Suddenly, the Right swoops, spreading the gospel of energy independence and "Digging American Coal". In the end, the promises of restoring fossil fuel jobs outweighed the benefits of renewable energy, as evidenced in the outcome of the 2016 Presidential Election.

Democrats lost on their climate agenda because they could not prove to the average blue collar worker why protecting the planet for thousands of years to come was worth going hungry and financial insecurity in the present. It all boils down to the fact that environmentalism is a luxury of the rich. This may be hard to swallow, but ask, would one rather take care of their kid in the present or great grandchild in the future. While those two outcomes might not seem mutually exclusive, for many Americans, they in fact are. This day in age, green energy is too expensive for wide spread use. Advocacy for it fell on deaf ears in terms of receiving votes for it. However, there is hope for a secure, environmentally conscious future. All people want Earth to be healthy. As green energy prices continue to drop, the USA will eventually make the switch. But, the government cannot make it too early, leaving behind hardworking Americans. In sum, green energy should be America's future, but the primary focus should be securing a new path for blue collar, fossil fuel workers. Until a new, financially feasible path is established, Republicans will win votes over the Democrats, no matter how much the Left preaches about saving the planet.