Rachel Weidner

English 102-125
Padgett
3 April 2016
Energy Efficiency: Steps America Should Take to Achieve It
As society evolves and changes, so does its environment. In the modern world, energy
usage is a necessity for most. Fossil fuels, such as coal, gas, and various minerals, account for the
majority of the worlds energy consumption. While these resources are currently the popular
choice for energy supply, it is very problematic. These resources are gradually becoming
extremely limited in quantity, and also have several harmful effects on the environment and
human health. On the other hand, the alternative to fossil fuels is renewable energy sources,
which include solar, wind, and hydropower. These resources are not only abundant, but also
reusable. Also, when compared to fossil fuels, they have a dramatically small impact on the
environment. However, as of recent years, renewable energy resources only supply about 8% of
U.S. total energy consumption (Peterson 58). As a nation, the United States must take initiative
in order to improve its environmental efficiency. In order to do this, several aspects of the
country need to change, progress, and transcend into a more eco-friendly future. Also, the United
States should act as a world leader in renewable resources, and encourage other countries to take
action as well. Overall, it is imperative that the United States make advancements in its
environmental efficiency, specifically in the fields of government, technology, education, and the
workforce.
The United States government is the central leading figure to an improved effort towards
a clean environment. By establishing various policies and laws, the country can begin to become

more ecologically conscious. However, steps to achieving efficiency becomes difficult when the
country is only partially involved in the effort. A constant, fundamental problem seems to be that
federal policymakers, particularly in Congress, simply have not committed themselves, says
Kate Gordon, Louis Soares, and Stephen Steigleder in their article that expresses exigency
toward a greener America (42). While the government recognizes that eco-efficiency is a serious
problem, the plans made to solve it are not always full-fledged. On the national scale, the
government should not only formulate new policies, but also work to improve the current ones.
One seemingly effective way to encourage installations of renewable energy devices and ecoefficiency is through the incentive program on the state level. When incentives are implemented,
citizens and businesses become more motivated. A presidential fellow of the American Society of
Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Kent Peterson, PE, states in
his article that state renewable portfolio standards will continue to play an important role in
accomplishing large-scale renewable use in the United States (63). It is crucial that the federal
and state governments fully engage, and continue to entirely immerse the country into the green
economy.
Not only is it imperative for the government to take action on this problem, but the
country should also act as a leader to others and work together on the global scale to improve
environmental efficiency worldwide. One specific action that the United Nations, an organization
made up of 193 countries, took in 2012 is a perfect example of what the worlds nations should
be doing more in order to solve the environmental problem. The UN released a document that
focused on improving proper education in order to enter a sustainable development
workforce (Nowotny et al. 4,152). Several Australian environmental specialists published an

article that summarized this document and its significance. The authors stated, the logical
intention of the UN document is that the development of renewable energy-related technologies
must be accompanied by appropriate modification of the education system, which is needed to
educate the technical staff able to work at the front line of environmentally friendly
technologies (Nowotny et al. 4,152). This document acts as a stepping stone to progress in
renewable energy, and shows that countries recognize the need for advancements in
environmental technology. However, it is only the beginning of an extensive journey that will
require more action.
While the government serves as the point of origin for environmental efficiency, their
actions and ideas should be strongly supported by the countrys workforce. Educated engineers
have the true power to develop new technology in the environmental field, whether it involves
making energy more accessible or more efficient, any advancements have the potential to be
significantly beneficial. Also, there is a clear connection between renewable energy and the
workforce that is simple and significant: an increase in usage of alternative energy sources leads
to an increase in job openings in that field. However, the proper training of the workforce is
required in order to truly excel as an eco-friendly country. Only by moving our workforce into
the twenty-first century can Americans move our economy, and our climate, into a greener future
as well, says Gordon, Soares, and Steigleder (44). Originally published in the Duke Forum For
Law & Social Change, their papers main claim is that in order to improve the quality and
quantity of renewable energy sources, special and innovative skills should be taught on a more
normal basis, especially in the fields of engineering, architecture, and construction (Gordon,
Soares, and Steigleder 23). In other areas of the world, the workforce for renewable energy is

projected to significantly increase. A study conducted by The European Renewable Energy

Council projects that 1,067,000 new jobs in renewable energy will be created by 2010 if the
former EU15 meets its bioenergy targets (qtd. In Watkinson, Bridgwater, and Luxmore). The
study also concluded that If Europe meets the target of 20% energy from RES in 2020, the
study estimates a further 380,000 jobs will be created in the bioenergy industry (qtd. in
Watkinson, Bridgwater, and Luxmore). The potential for an increase in job offers is not restricted
to Europe. If America were to take initiative to expanding the field, there could be benefits. An
article published in Power Engineering by Dorothy Davis states that A comprehensive report
from the American Solar Energy Society forecasts that more than 17 percent of all anticipated
U.S. employment could be generated from the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries
over the next two decades (10). This shows the positive correlation and benefits in career
options if the country were to improve its eco-efficiency.
In order to better strengthen this fields workforce, proper training is required, which
would begin at the educational level of secondary schooling. In high schools nationwide, taking
the simple initiative of educating students about renewable energy could have several benefits.
Two Turkish professors in the Department of Elementary Science Education at Ondokuz Mays
University conducted a study on 433 high school students that assessed their attitudes toward
alternative energy sources. elikler and Askan consider the younger generations to be very
important to the innovation of alternative energy, and explain:
Nowadays, many countries allocate considerable sums from their budgets to research that
seek to resolve environmental problems and to leave a livable environment for future
generations. However, a far simpler approach against environmental problems would

involve raising individuals with greater environmental awareness. In order to raise

individuals who are environmentally aware, and who contribute to the well-being of their
societies with their novel and innovative ideas, measures should be taken to provide
education regarding the sources of environmental pollution and to instill positive attitudes
towards the environment.
In other words, the two authors are implying that educating students can impact their energy
usage and eco-efficiency, and also has the potential to inspire them to pursue a career in the field.
In post-secondary education, students can seek more advanced training. Particularly in
the fields of engineering and construction, the development of new technologies that can help to
preserve the environment is essential for progress. Gordon, Soares, and Steigleder advocate for
the term technical literacy in higher education (31). In order to attain technical literacy,
according to the authors, students should go beyond basic training, and learn how to apply those
academic concepts to real-world technical problems (Gordon, Soares, and Steigleder 31). By
achieving technical literacy, students can excel into a more broad range of technological
advancements and occupations (Gordon, Soares, and Steigleder 31). Also, it is necessary that
students are offered more opportunities to better understand renewable energy in the postsecondary level of education. Increased collaboration between PhD providers can improve
visibility of bioenergy studies and offer students a wider range of expertise and facilities, states
Watkinson, Bridgwater, and Luxmore. Having more options and possible capabilities will help
students to harvest beneficial knowledge about renewable energy at the advanced level.
The countrys aspects discussed above, if changed enough, can help America advance to
become environmentally friendly and less fossil fuel dependent. If the government were to

initiate more urgency for change by implementing such movements as incentives and legislative
acts, then businesses, education systems, and citizens in general would begin to follow suit. In
Kiriaki Keramitsoglous study that investigates the attitudes of adolescents towards alternative
energy, she summarizes that since climate change has become a cause for concern, citizens have
to play a more active role in the development of energy policy and the operation of energy
market, and they certainly have the potential to do so. According to elikler and Askan, the
current century is expected to be one of significant innovations, advances, and developments in
the use of renewable energy sources, which represent a clean and inexhaustible source (qtd.).
The way to harvest this potential and achieve an energy sustainable future requires all of the
multiple levels of society discussed above. First, regarding the government, to realize the
promise of the clean energy economy, America needs to make a commitment to passing the
policies and programs that will spur that economy (Gordon, Soares, and Steigleder 44). Next,
the workforce, which needs improvement in proper training provisions. Lastly, the education
system should be redesigned to motivate students to become more educated on how to achieve
sustainability. Only by taking these steps, and doing so in the near future, can the United States
break through with advancements in green technology, and evolve into a truly sustainable
environment.

Works Cited
elikler, Dilek, and Zeynep Aksan. "The Development Of An Attitude Scale To Assess The
Attitudes Of High School Students Towards Renewable Energy Sources." Renewable &
Sustainable Energy Reviews 54. (2016): 1092-1098. Academic Search Complete. Web.
26 Feb. 2016.
Davis, Dorothy. "Finding The Green Workforce." Power Engineering 114.10 (2010): 10-11.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
Gordon, Kate, Louis Soares, and Stephen Steigleder. "Preparing America's Workforce For Jobs
In The Green Economy: A Case For Technical Literacy." Duke Forum For Law & Social
Change (DFLSC) 4. (2012): 23-44. Academic Search Alumni Edition. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
Keramitsoglou, Kiriaki M. "Exploring Adolescents Knowledge, Perceptions And Attitudes
Towards Renewable Energy Sources: A Colour Choice Approach." Renewable &
Sustainable Energy Reviews 59. (2016): 1159-1169. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25
Feb. 2016.
Nowotny, Janusz, et al. "Sustainable Practices: Solar Hydrogen Fuel And Education Program On
Sustainable Energy Systems." International Journal Of Hydrogen Energy 39.9. (2014):
4151-4157. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.
Peterson, Kent W. "Status Of Renewable Energy Systems In The United States." ASHRAE
Transactions 118.1 (2012): 58-63. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
Watkinson, I.I., A.V. Bridgwater, and C. Luxmore. "Advanced Education And Training In
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