The former president of the United States (U.S), George W. Bush famously said that America is addicted to oil. Corroborating this statement, Johnson ( 2014 ) reckons that f ossil fuels account for 85% of America’s energy production . Given the figure, America is heavily dependent on fossil fuel s to meet its energy needs. For instance, a moratorium on the exploitation of coal during President Obama ’s government was overturned by President Trump ’s administration . This exemplifies America’s addiction to fossil fuels and signals the fact that the nation seems to be head ed in a direction that the world is keenly trying to revert . This is particularly as calls for the adoption of sustainable energy solutions intensify globally. Besides oil and coal, America also depends on natural gas , yet another fossil fuel (Johnson, 2014). The use of fossil fuels has unprecedented adverse effects on the environment. An effective way to address the problem of overdependence on fossil fuels is to embrace energy conservation, responsible consumption and the green culture.
America’s Appetite for Fossil Fuels
America is faced with numerous challenges owing to its addiction to oil. Various types of pollution are evident in cities across the U.S. Cases of a ir pollution, water pollution amongst many others have intensified in recent years leading to health - related illnesses in vast numbers across all demographics in the U.S. The cost to the American taxpayer is also tremendous with pollution having become a 20 billion dollar healthcare problem (Pfeiffer, 2009). The problem does n o t end with pollution. There is a consensus that America's energy transmission infrastructure has aged to the point that there are inefficiencies that are leading to losses and wastage (York, 2012). There is a long-held belief that one of the most significant challenges has been the general culture of wastage , driven by consumerism , which has fuelled the American economic engine for over the last 50 years. When compared with Europe, America's environmental policy has lagged behind in addressing critical issues like weaning America off its oil habit. The European Union (EU) states have generally led the way in environmental policy-making which has led to real change among their citizens. Various reports and studies have captured the fact that Europeans have a more proactive view when it comes to environmental preservation than their American compatriots (York, 2012). Generally , America’s economic development has over the years been fuelled by the exploitation of oil . This implies that despite calls to adopt alternative sources of energy, A merica is still nursing a fossil fuel ‘hangover’ which means that it will be difficult to see any real changes happening anytime soon given the stance that the Trump administration has taken on fossil fuels and the environment.
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Conserving Energy
Conserving energy within homes and building s, and incorporating it in the general design ethos is one of the sure st wa ys of reduc ing America’s fossil fuel dependence. One of the key points of weakness with regard to energy consumption in the U.S are the American home s (York, 2012). Many homes in the U.S were built between the 50s and 70s when there was a boom in the construction of homes as American cities expanded to the suburbs (Johnson, 2014). Many homes to date, therefore , are characterized by outdated technology especially with regard to insulation and the nature of the materials used during the construction process. Thus, the solution to reducing consumption of fossil fuels lies in making adjustments to the end user of the energy chain , which is the American home. This can be accomplished through numerous simple strategies. These include switching off the air conditioning systems when no one is home; using energy efficient light bulbs ; and using electrical appliances that are rated highly in their energy efficiency . These are some of the strategies that could reduce the load on the national energy grid , whose source is mainly fossil fuels (York, 2012 ; Klare , 2007 ). Conserving energy also means that deliberate steps are taken by individuals to help reduce their carbon footprint . Simple tactics like only using appliances when they are needed and not leaving them on for long periods of time could help reduce the need for, or the amount of fossil fuels needed . Ultimately, reducing energy use is a personal responsibility that is helpful in reducing adverse effects of energy use on the environment .
Responsible Consumption: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
There is a need for all American citizens to shun consumerism and to embrace responsible consumption. Effort should be directed at educating the masses about the numerous benefits of recycling and reusing products a s well as reducing waste. This is because the production of the products is dependent on energy generated from fossil fuels. At the policy level, both the state and federal government s can formulate policies that encourage the private sector to partner with local communities to reduce usage by promoting and rewarding positive consumer behavior. By urging people only to buy what they require, a lot of waste can also be kept from getting to the landfill s by reducing the amount of products use d on the day to day basis (Johnson, 2014). Policies can also be form ulated to reward companies and organizations that adopt environmentally-friendly policies that govern how they run their operations. Incentives such as tax breaks, tax holidays and even rebates can be used to encourage corporations to change how they do things from an operational perspective (Pfeiffer, 2009). State governments can even go as far as assisting companies directly with financial injections to ease the ir cost of converting energy-intensive manufacturing set-ups into more energy efficient processes for the greater good of the environment and the communities that live around them.
At the individual level , everyone can support the cause by recycling as much as they can in and around their homes. For instance, they can find new uses for items that are about to be throw n away such as old clothing . These can be c onverted for use in cleaning or simply donated to those who need them in less privileged households . Simple actions like separating garbage into organic and inorganic matter can go a long in reducing waste as well as getting the most from it. Further, segregation and sorting of waste significantly improves the chances of recycling and extending the life of raw materials , which also helps to reduce the carbon footprint . This is by ultimately reducing the amount of raw materials to be extracted or produced , which by itself is one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions (Johnson, 2014).
The Green Culture
Significant strides have been made in promoting green living . For instance, at least 1 in 3 Americans have admitted that they are conscious of the state of the environment (Jo h nson, 2014). However , for a lasting impact on environmental consciousness to endure for many generations to come, a lot more needs to be done. Education and awareness should be carried out for people to appreciat e the need to car e for the environment fully. This form of e ducation needs to start from the lowest education level s all the way to institutions of higher learning as a way of making sure that future generations continue with the legacy of caring for the environment (York, 2012). Environmental education needs to be centred on among other issues, personal responsibility, caring for native species and reducing energy use by using the most efficient technology available (York, 2012). When people become conscious about how their products are manufactured , where their food comes from , and how that food is grown, they are likely to force manufacturers and other producers in the supply chain to re-evaluate production processes . Environmental consciousness is ultimately the best weapon for creating the reality that will reduce the over dependence on fossil fuels ( Klare , 2007) . Promoting environmental consciousness i n everyday living through education and other channels of awareness creation will result in a well-informed public that will demand a better way of doing things from governments, manufacturers, food producers and corporations (Pfeiffer, 2009). All these will lead to a drastic reduction in the use of fossil fuels.
Conclusion
An effective way to address the problem of overdependence on fossil fuels is to embrace energy conservation, responsible consumption and the green culture. These strategies are vital in reducing America ’s appetite for fos sil fuels. The current dependence on these fuels is a result of decades of reliance on an energy source that was once abundant, cheap and easily available . Despite the fact that the U.S was built by utilizing these cheap energy sources , as the world chang es, there is a need for the nation to change with it. In t he 21 st century , the focus has shifted towards the importance of living sustainably. Thus, there is a need for U.S citizens, manufacturers, food producers and corporations to conserve the energy, consume responsibly and embrace the green culture in order to lessen America’s dependence on fossil fuels.
References
Johnson, B. (2014). Carbon nation: fossil fuels in the making of american culture . University Press of Kansas.
Klare, M. (2007). Blood and oil: The dangers and consequences of America's growing dependency on imported petroleum . Metropolitan Books.
Pfeiffer, D. (2009). Eating fossil fuels: oil, food and the coming crisis in agriculture . New Society Publishers.
York, R. (2012). Do alternative energy sources displace fossil fuels?. Nature Climate Change , 2 (6), 441.
