The time has come
In a study released in August of 2007 it was detailed how Pennsylvania could gain 2.2 billion dollars annually if we meet 25% of our energy needs with domestic renewable resources. It is not only the job of energy companies to meet these needs. A small island in Denmark is showing the rest of the world that being self-sufficient is possible.
Denmark is the world’s leader in producing wind turbines and wind-powered energy production. In 1997 the small island of Samso was selected to participate in a program that would make it entirely self-sufficient with regard to energy by 2008. They used wind energy, solar power, biofuels grown by local farmers, and other renewable sources of energy for heating purposes. The island met the requirements by 2003, five years early, and continues to be totally energy self-sufficient.
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There are a couple of reasons Denmark’s plan would be difficult to implement in York County. The most important issue is that Samso had no sources of energy on the island prior to the introduction of the new renewable energy. This made it easy to implement new ways of producing energy without stepping on anyone’s toes.
Another contrast is the population. Samso has only about 5,000 people and nearly every one of them is involved with making the island self-sufficient. Though York County has a large number of farmers, like Samso, it also has some 400,000 people with different needs, values, and lifestyles. Not everyone would be interested in participating in an energy experiment.
Finally, an energy program in York County would be different because we have different geographical advantage from Samso. They are able to have off-shore wind turbines which produce a large portion of their energy. There is not enough wind in York County to produce energy.
The reasons it would work and the reasons we should try to make it work out weigh the reasons it would be difficult by a long shot. One reason is that we have the advantage of land. The island is only 44 square miles. York County has 905 square miles. This is plenty of room for energy-producing solar panels. We also have plenty of farmers. Growing crops to support the development of biofuels is becoming profitable as more fuel companies are turning to renewable sources of energy.
Another reason we should try to make a plan like this work is to help protect the environment. Pennsylvania is home to four of the most heavily polluted power plants in the United States. Although the United States has not ratified the Kyoto protocol, many U.S. mayors have independently agreed to adopt the Protocol’s reduction of emissions target for their cities. We can reduce the impact of future pollution with the generation of clean energy from renewable resources.
Finally, the most important reason is to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. The war in Iraq is driving the price of protecting oil up while dampening our economy. If we become self-sufficient, we remove the Middle East from the equation.
Even though there are challenges in becoming more self-sufficient, it is clear that the time has come. I am certain we can increase Pennsylvania’s renewable energy sources by encouraging our policy makers to legislate and fund new projects. As citizens, we can be supportive of solar panels and biofuels. When we feel discouraged, all we need to do is look to the little island of Samso, leading the way in the creation of new sources of energy we so badly need.
Erika Beers
Loganville
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