Going Green, Good or Bad?

Going green can have a large effect on not only our environment, but our economy as well. 

Global warming has been an increasingly important issue over the last decade.  Emissions of greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide have created a lasting effect on our environment.  Solutions to these problems include hybrid cars, wind and tide turbines, and ethanol-based fuel.  In a struggling economy, it is hard to think about the future.  Hybrid cars cost more than conventional vehicles, which only means that the financial payback doesn’t catch up until a few years “down the road.”  Not a very enticing figure these days.  Ethanol-based fuel is also an alternative, made from crops such as corn, it is widely used throughout the world.  The problem lies with the fact that it costs more to produce and still releases emissions into the air.  A whole month’s supply of corn for a family is equal to the amount used to fill one tank of gas.  I believe the most efficient and cost-effective way we can produce energy is through wind and tide turbines.  These effectively use the power generated from tides in a river or wind currents high in the hills to produce clean, reliant energy.  Thousands of new turbines are expected to be built and maintained throughout the next decade, creating thousands of jobs. 

Going green is believed to be another word for cutting back and becoming less “energy reliant.”  Cutting back can lead to job loss and inappropriate use of scarce resources around the globe. When revenues thrive and businesses stay healthy, stocks rise and people begin to become more confident, which fuels consumer spending.  But when jobs are lost, consumers lose that confidence and don’t have the spending power they once had, creating a negative effect on the economy.  I believe that we need to become more energy reliant, doing it a cleaner way.  Cleaner energy use can not only help us live better as individuals but can aid businesses in saving money and increasing revenues.  Businesses have the option of creating teams within their structure that specialize in utilizing this opportunity.  This will create jobs and cut down on energy use at the same time. 

The right or wrong decision we all make can have its effect on certain companies and the economy as well.  Either way, the impact can turn out to be good or bad, and the way things are looking now, we can’t afford to slide any further.