The Roads to a Carbon Neutral America

By Luke Bryant

We Decide What Type of Future Awaits us

From the age of the pre-industrial world to the modern day, human emissions have

increased the temperature of the global climate by just shy of two degrees. During this time, the

planet’s very temperament has shifted as well. Hurricanes have grown stronger. Flooding has

become more common in certain regions while droughts become more prevalent in others,

making way for more wildfires. Coral reefs, critical for both the ecosystems they help create and

the barrier they provide against tsunamis, are dying off. Honeybees that help fertilize over a third

of American crops are under threat. If carbon emissions remain at their present rate, current

issues will only experience a further surge in intensity. The artic ocean may become largely free

of ice before 2050, and sea level is projected to rise as much as 8 feet by 2100. The worst climate

change has to offer is still yet to be. But, if global emissions are sliced in half by 2030 and net-

zero is achieved by 2050, they may just be avoided altogether.

Future generations deserve to live in a thriving, balanced world abundant with life. Not

endure the brutality of a world broken by those who came before them. It is the responsibility of

the American people to work toward cleaner energy production and help lead the charge against

climate change.

It would seem then that given the obvious consequences for further inaction and the very

real tipping point the global climate is nearing, the solution would be simple. America has the

potential to greatly impact the future of the planet for the better. And with the nation’s wealth,
surely members of Congress could simply throw money at the problem through a new bill and

call it a day, right?

In a more utopian world, the answer would undoubtably be yes. “Converting the entire

U.S. power grid to 100 percent renewable energy in the next decade is technologically and

logistically attainable.” (Gardiner et al, 2019) However, a shift to sustainable energy like that

comes at a premium, as its estimated it could cost $4.5 trillion. “That’s nearly as much as the

United States has spent on the war on terror since 2001.” (Gardiner et al, 2019) The question for

many on the opposing side of such action is where would this money come from? Borrowing it

and thus raising the national debt is an option that a number of law makers find undesirable. And

collecting it through taxes is by no means a superior option.

Is it Worth it to Pursue Zero Carbon Emissions?

On April 30th of 2022, the entire state of California managed to run on renewable energy

for an hour. A truly remarkable achievement. Yet, during this time, natural gas plants were still

up and running. In reality, while the state’s accomplishment is impressive, the circumstances

surrounding point to the fact that the nation may not be ready just yet to truly embrace carbon

neutrality. “When the sun sets, solar power disappears from the grid rapidly” (Sommer, 2022)

Energy attained through solar power is only available when sunlight is plentiful and

unobstructed. And once its contributions to the power grid cease, natural gas is required to make

up the difference.

Thus arises a series of armor piercing questions. Solar and wind power are two of the

most prominent sources of green energy. But what happens when the sun goes down, or the

weather is cloudy? What if a massive wind farm costing millions in taxpayer money barely
generates any sufficient power because the wind isn’t blowing hard enough that day? It can

easily be argued that the nation’s focus should not be on the goal of 100% reliance on renewable

energy, but instead consider a far less dramatic direction.

The climate crisis is a very real concern for the general public, but so is a theoretical bill

that could increase the national debt, taxes, and interest by a substantial degree. Is it at all wise or

responsible to saddle present and future Americans with such a financial and economic burden

over a solution that may just prove to be unreliable? Fossil fuels may be the primary contributor

to global warming, but in regard to the nation’s economy, there’s no reason for them to be retired

with such urgency. When the cost becomes more reasonable, then will be the time to enact rapid

reduction of emissions.

Can The Nation Afford to Wait Any Longer?

While the financial cost would be undeniably great, it must be asked what is more

important. The tremendous cost it would require to reach carbon neutrality, or the very wellbeing

of the Earth and all of its inhabitants. The American people would have to bear the brunt of the

upfront cost, but it would guarantee long term success far into the future. And once the initial

cost have been paid for, the public would be able to enjoy the financial benefits of renewable

energy as well. “Such an economy would allow for stable, sustainable growth, unlike the current

energy system” (Wu, 2018) Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power have

already largely surpassed fossil fuels in overall affordability, and cost will likely only continue to

drop. “Over the last decade, wind energy prices have fallen 70% and solar photovoltaics have

fallen 89% on average” (Forbes, 2020) To many, the responsible choice would appear be to

prioritizing the effort to curb climate change’s negative impacts regardless of the financial
burden. Afterall, even though the price is something that would be felt for years, the benefits

would outlast it.

A Middle Ground

A case can easily be made that this whole climate debacle has been blown out of

proportion, that while action is needed, it can wait its turn behind more current issues. Or that

humanity is sitting on a ticking time bombe of their own making and must act quickly to defuse

it while the option is still available. But perhaps it is possible to eliminate the nations

contribution to climate change In a manner that equally considers the concerns of today and

tomorrow. Rather than a swift and expensive switch to renewable energy, Congress could choose

to gradually integrate clean sources of energy while simultaneously phasing out fossil fuels. If

carefully scheduled so that the U.S. could still meet the critical targets for 2030 and 2050, the

nation could reach zero carbon emissions without overwhelming citizens with an egregious price

tag. The future is coming. And it is the responsibility of everyone to determine how ready or ill

prepared the country will be when it arrives.

Submission Instructions

The submission instructions for a New York Times opinion guest essay require that the written

work have a word count from 800 to 1,200 words and include sources in hyperlinks.
 Works Cited

Gardiner, B., Gardiner, B., Hurdle, J., Hurdle, J., Chandrashekhar, V., & Chandrashekhar, V.
(2019, June 28). Shifting U.S. to 100 percent renewables would cost $4.5 trillion, analysis
finds. Yale E360. Retrieved December 3, 2022, from https://e360.yale.edu/digest/shifting-
u-s-to-100-percent-renewables-would-cost-4-5-trillion-analysis-finds

NASA. (2022, November 11). The effects of climate change. NASA. Retrieved December 3,
2022, from https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/

Sommer, L. (2022, May 13). California just ran on 100% renewable energy, but fossil fuels
aren't fading away yet. NPR. Retrieved December 3, 2022, from
https://www.npr.org/2022/05/07/1097376890/for-a-brief-moment-calif-fully-powered-
itself-with-renewable-energy

Technology, E. I. P. and. (2022, October 12). Renewable energy prices hit record lows: How can
utilities benefit from unstoppable solar and wind? Forbes. Retrieved December 3, 2022,
from https://www.forbes.com/sites/energyinnovation/2020/01/21/renewable-energy-prices-
hit-record-lows-how-can-utilities-benefit-from-unstoppable-solar-and-wind/?
sh=759f7af2c84e

Wu, S. (2018, May 10). Renewable energy is the future. so why are we still stuck in the past?
News. Retrieved December 3, 2022, from
https://www.wgbh.org/news/commentary/2018/05/10/renewable-energy-is-the-future-so-
why-are-we-still-stuck-in-the-past