Green energy is, in my opinion, not talked about enough in politics. Of course, most liberals support green energy on the basis that it will keep Earth livable and not a fiery hell that we try to inhabit. However, any green energy bills are often met with resistance by conservatives who refute that global warming is real and valid (spoiler alert- it is), the reality is that the only reason conservatives are refusing green energy is because they are so far into the pockets of the oil lobby that they need to find some scapegoat. And here is why that must be the case:
Green energy makes sense. By creating more green energy, whether it be air, wave or any number of alternative, renewable energy sources, a variety of results arise. First of all, it moves jobs to the United States. This means that all of our engineers, designers and manufacturers gain jobs that are too scarce in the modern day post-bachelor degree society. Conservatives claim that they are the ones with the ability to create jobs, and I ask them: why not these jobs?
Additionally, green energy gives the opportunity for economic growth and prosperity. The United States’ greatest resource is its youth, its young graduates who have more debt, fewer jobs, and less opportunities in current America. By shifting our energy focus to renewable resources it allows for these young people to innovate, develop and refine green energies. By rewarding these actions, whether by giving tax breaks or awarding them government contracts, small start up firms actually have a chance to flourish and make a clear difference on the consumption of energy in America.
If economic growth is not enough for conservatives, as it apparently is not, then foreign policy should be. By increasing our production of green American energy, created and produced here, foreign oil usage can be cut drastically. So often conservatives preach about the reduction of our dependency on foreign oil, yet we are not investing enough time, money or publicity into the development of our own energy technologies that are far safer, cleaner and effective than our current nonrenewable or nuclear energies. By reducing our dependency on foreign oil, foreign policy has the ability to completely change the face of American policy in the Middle East.
The Middle East has a number of difficulties in it, most of which we caused ourselves. But, if we can eliminate our oil needs from them, we are free to be the moral power we claim to be. That means we can push back on the oppressive governments who repress and harm their own people. We can listen to all parties involved before taking a side just because they have oil rights. Overall, it just provides us with a greater variety of options when it comes to issues in the region that up to this point have been ethically murky to say the least.
Conservatives all too often claim that we need to increase the number of jobs in America, reduce our dependency on foreign oil and change foreign policy in the Middle East. Green energy is a perfect way to achieve these conservative goals, while reducing our carbon output, reducing our nuclear energy reliance and helping to curb climate change. Based on this it is clear, conservatives do not truly care about these issues they are proclaiming as vital, rather they are so indebted to these oil and coal lobbies that they can no longer create any worthwhile policy clear of these biases.
