America, and the world are in a crisis, and something needs to be done about our dependency on oil and coal. We need to explore alternative fuels and really take a look at what we are doing to the environment. The United States Congress should reduce emissions from oil and coal by funding research and helping to advance the technology involved with alternative fuels. America is a country that is literally fueled by oil and coal. We currently consume 20 million barrels a day, at a cost of 1.4 billion dollars per day. Oil is consumed in many different ways, and quite a few that most people may never think of, like in the production of clothing, detergents, toothpaste, toothbrushes, paint, plastics, playgrounds and insulation. More importantly though, oil is used to fuel the majority of our transportation and also many of our power plants. These are the major contributing parties to our oil consumption and pollution.
The emissions from our cars, planes, buses, ships, trucks and factories, is doing irreversible damage to our planet. Barack Obama said that, “As a result of climate change, glaciers are melting faster, the polar ice caps are shrinking, trees are blooming earlier, more people are dying in heat waves, species are migrating, and eventually many will become extinct.” We are also polluting the oceans at an alarming rate. Each year more than 6 million tons of oil finds its way into the world’s oceans. In comparison, the Exxon Valdez spill released 10.8 million gallons of oil. Coal is the world leader for carbon dioxide emissions. It accounts for nearly 30% of all global fossil fuel consumption, and 37% of fossil fuel carbon emissions. Coals primary use is for the generation of electrical energy and accounts for more than half of our electrical energy. Due to the lack of penalties and regulations regarding carbon dioxide emissions, coal use