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Former President Barack Obama said, “No challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change.” I attend King Middle School in Portland. In social studies class, we have been learning about climate change and energy sources.
Wind energy is a healthy energy source for Maine to mitigate climate change. By having blades rotate as the wind blows, a turbine is spun so that power can be generated. The average wind turbine installed in the United States today gives the turbine up to 20 years of productive use.
Hydropower is an energy source able to develop on a mass scale. It holds the largest share of worldwide electricity production out of any base that does not include fossil fuel. Hydropower receives classification as renewable energy, it is still a cost-competitive resource for us to use. The upfront costs can be massive even for small installations, Hydropower provides the opportunity to generate electricity without creating greenhouse gas emissions after the installation of the facility.
Maine should focus on solar power. The current estimates for our fossil fuel availability at current consumption levels without locating new resources are around a century of use. Even with the amount of raw materials that are already stockpiled, a transition in the use of solar energy has a substantially lower impact on the environment when compared to other resources, including those that fall into the renewable spectrum.
Hamsa Sadak
Portland
