Introduction
Does converting to renewable fuel resources run the risk of eliminating jobs in the US? This is the question that seems to present an ongoing dispute amongst our society. It is hard to know for sure which side to lean towards. Most people seem to want to help the environment but some find the steps less realistic than others. How much would it really cost to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy? Though this question may seem like a simple analysis of numbers, the factors that come into the equation are vast. We must break this down into more specific questions:
  • How much money does the transition of a combustion engine into an electric or compression engine cost?
  • What impact does utilization of electric or compression engines have on the environment and what is the most cost-effective way to generate this energy source?
Another question to consider is: what non-renewables resources are being used to produce energy today? The standard choices are oil and coal, but there must be others. The price of converting these sources into renewable resources must be compared individually based on the resource being evaluated. 
Pricing can then be tied in with the job force with regards to job loss. How many employees will be lost by eliminating the oil and coal industries? Beyond the fracking and mining companies and their employees, how many jobs could potentially be lost in the automobile companies? If a company like Ford just put out their 2017 line of F-150s, how much would it cost to try to convert these vehicles? The amount of money lost in the conversion must have to lead to a deficit that would cause jobs to be lost, right? Throughout this blog, I will be evaluating these, and more, questions and perspective regarding energy resources. I will begin by searching database resources to find writings on what environmental advantages renewable energy has and whether it produces or reduces overall job opportunities in the field.

 Though many jobs will be lost, I do believe that it is more important to start pushing toward renewable resources. There will come a time where this transition needs to take place whether we like it or not and now is the time to make a plan. I will begin by exploring resources on the impacts of fracking, how shutting down coal mines impacted American families and the economy, and sources examining the time frame and cost it would take to try to make the transition to renewable energy.

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 6, 2017 at 3:35 PM

    Hi Sam, I find it interesting that switching over to renewable fuel resources could potentially get rid of jobs. It’s wild to think that many of these new ideas that could make our environment better, could hurt us in the long run. This makes me wonder, how much of a positive impact would this have on our environment if we did switch to renewable resources? I do agree with the fact that by switching over to renewable resources, we could face potential job losses. That is depending on the price that companies can come up with.

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  2. Dana MApril 6, 2017 at 4:14 PM

    Great post! This is a very important topic to the whole world obviously. Here in America, and many other countries, our economy is almost completely dependent on natural resources. Because of this, there will of course be major job loss, it is eliminating an entire field. This is an obviously extremely important topic to address. You would think we may have actually learned something from previous world powers that placed too much dependence on one resource, but I guess we are all just slow learners. But I agree with you, we need to start transitioning towards renewable resources but we also must be realistic. I’m looking forward to hearing the data you present on the cost of said transition and job loss. I would also like to know more about how many jobs may be created and what kind of money would be saved with renewable resources. Once again, great post and I’m excited to read more.

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