Our modern society depends on energy for just about everything, from developing and using technology we use every day.  Where we get this essential part of our lives is becoming an issue, as fossil fuels and natural gas makes up much of the energy supply even though it is limited in amount. Renewable energy such as solar, wind, hydropower and geothermal energy has been taken into consideration as an alternative source of energy. However, we do not see many of these implemented in our community, and statistics do show that renewable energy only makes up ten percent of the United States' total energy sources. A reason to why we continue to use fossil fuels and natural gas is because it is seen as cheaper than setting up renewable energy generators. Cost is indeed an important factor in developing any kind of technology, especially when taking in account that the United States has the most debt in the world and citizens are reluctant to pay taxes. Renewable energy will end up being more valuable as non-renewables are expected to be used up within this century and have a history of causing pollution and health problems.

I was living in Japan when the Tohoku Earthquake hit in 2011 and triggered tsunamis and the Fukushima nuclear power plant meltdown. The radioactive particles in the power plant made their way outside of Fukushima, causing many different kinds of problems. The most known and obvious effect was relocation of citizens from their homes. Personally, I felt the effect when my school was unable to use water because of high radiation levels and when I saw fellow students wearing masks. My grandparents who live on a farm suffered financially when their crops couldn't sell. The destruction of the power plant itself also lead to a shortage of electricity, and the Tokyo Electric Power Company implemented rolling blackouts. Rolling blackouts, which are planned power outages meant to prevent a total blackout, are rare in developed countries which are usually capable of supplying enough energy for a large population. The first few blackouts were not planned very well and caused confusion throughout nine prefectures. The Fukushima accident made me realize how nuclear energy came with its risks and how big of an impact it would have on our current society if we suddenly lost a power plant. A few years later, I had the opportunity to visit Iceland for a few days. I found out that almost one hundred percent of Iceland's electricity is supplied by hydropower and geothermal power to sustain 330,000 people. Although it is a small number compared to the population of the United States, I felt that it was remarkable that they could generate enough electricity entirely from renewable sources, and that more countries should make the shift to renewable energy as soon as possible.

The article "Switch to Clean Energy Can Be Fast and Cheap" by Umair Irfan in the renowned science magazine Scientific American lays evidence from studies that show how renewable energy would let people get their money's worth. The effect that weather has on the ability of a power plant to generate electricity has been worried by investors. The article writes that with strategic placement of generators, it is possible to generate a steady supply of energy at a low cost.

San Diego has committed to a complete transition to renewable energy in twenty years, according to the New York Times article "San Diego Vows to Move Entirely to Renewable Energy in 20 Years" written by Matt Richtel. The city became the first to make a legally binding pledge and has plans for solar panels on rooftops and parking lots. Meanwhile, other major cities such as New York and San Francisco have only said vaguely that they plan to cut on CO2 emissions, leaving San Diego to be the only city now with a specific plan.

Activists Derrick Jensen and Stephanie McMillan depict the reality of our society's attitude toward eco-friendly action in the graphic novel As the World Burns: 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Stay in Denial. The excerpt in The Carolina Rhetoric follows two girls who are excited at first by the numerous ways to potentially save the earth, but realize that their change in lifestyle alone would make almost no difference on the planet unless everyone else on earth changed with them. At this rate, it is impossible to expect for everyone in the United States to contribute for a cleaner earth because Americans' lives are shaped around non-renewables. 

People from many different positions would agree or disagree that we need to take action now to set up renewable energy plants. The expenses of buying property, manufacturing generators and putting them to use would make people think it is too much of an investment when we seem to have no problem with non-renewable energy. A sudden shift to complete renewable energy usage would also force many workers into unemployment, and it would also make it difficult for them to find another job as they had been specialized in knowledge for non-renewables. However, with future generations and the effects from past energy production in mind, it is never too early to implement more renewable energy options and it would be too late to wait for another century to go by.

