Dear President Obama,
What a world you have inherited. It seems there are more problems today, and more severe, than in any previous age. I encourage you, though, for all these errors can be corrected. Concerning the environment, however, I would advocate you to act quickly. This is not a problem that can wait fifty years to be solved; it cannot be ignored even a day. As you said in your inauguration speech, “What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.” The United States has been, up to this point, irresponsible in its use of energy and natural resources. Because of this, our world is in a drastic state of climate change. The way that we use our energy needs to be addressed immediately, and we need to make the switch from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy.
How easy it would be to bury our heads in the sand and continue living life in our current state. We cannot do this. The world is changing around us: weather patterns have become erratic and unpredictable; natural disasters of epic proportions are occurring with increasing regularity, hurricane Katrina, the 2004 tsunamis, earthquakes, droughts, floods. Scientists who do not subscribe to the global warming/global climate change theory say that the earth is experiencing a natural cycle of climate change, and that the erratic climate history of the planet suggests that the previous centuries of calm weather have been, for lack of a better expression, a fluke. While there is some evidence to suggest that this may be true, it should not be used as an excuse to continue irresponsible behavior. Scientists have proven that increasing amounts of Carbon Monoxide and Dioxide in the atmosphere can and are changing our climate. In that case, even if we are experiencing a natural weather cycle, our habits of energy consumption are making it worse; both of these facts are true, and one cannot be taken without the other, as some would try to do. So, then, given the facts at hand, a solution to the energy crisis must be found.
An investment of time and resources in research toward new and better sources of clean and renewable energy, and a commitment to act upon the findings of that research will allow the United States to lead the way in solving the energy crisis. It is necessary not only to decrease pollution, but to create new forms of harnessing earth’s natural resources and improve and instate existing forms throughout America. Consider the current state of the economy and of unemployment. An investment in renewable forms of energy is a dramatic step in the right direction to help those problems. Imagine if grants were provided to companies committed to building and expanding renewable energy harnessing plants. New plants would open; these need builders, contractors, architects, engineers, and suppliers to build them, and workers and managers to operate them. They will provide business to banks, local restaurants, local housing developers, and most importantly, jobs to everyday citizens. Power plants cannot be outsourced to countries across the sea where the labor is cheaper, the profit margin higher for corporate employees, and there are no benefits to the American people. Implementing these changes now will also prevent further human impact on the environment. Future global catastrophes can be prevented, and at the same time, the economy will receive a much needed stimulus. And this form of stimulus package follows the old adage, “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will never go hungry.” Renewable energy investments are, so to speak, lessons for the American people in how to fish. New business provides for the future in a way that a monetary handout cannot.
As has been shown, the world is currently in a state of climate change. Whether this change is partly a natural cycle or not, science has shown that the greenhouse gasses created from the burning of fossil fuels to produce energy do have a negative effect on the environment. These effects include large scale catastrophes such as hurricane Katrina and the 2004 tsunami. The good news is, these problems are solvable, if we act now. Because global warming begets more global warming, we are at a crossroads in time. If nothing is done to drastically decrease greenhouse gas emissions while increasing renewable energy sources, the climate will progress beyond the point where human kind can do anything about it. This is the time to act, if any action is to be taken, and if none is taken, we resign ourselves to oblivion. This is a problem that can be met and defeated. I and your country have faith in you. Please invest in our future as a nation and invest time and funding in the development and deployment of Renewable energy technologies, and give this country the chance and change it so desperately needs. Thank you for your time, and may God Bless you and your efforts and this great country.
With Highest Regards,
Samantha C. Smith
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