1.
Hosansky, David. "Biotech Foods." CQ Researcher 30 Mar. 2001: 249-72. Web. 3 Mar. 2012.
David Hosansky is a freelance writer who specializes in environmental issues and previously was a senior
writer at CQ Weekly and the Florida Times-Union where he was nominated twice for a Pulitzer Prize. The
article goes over both sides of the argument on whether to use genetically modified foods. It cites
situations where genetically modified foods caused some problems and also where it has been very
beneficial. There are statements and quotes from experts both for and against genetically modified foods.
The article seems to be intended for the average reader to inform them of both sides of the argument on
the introduction and use of genetically modified foods. I appreciate how the author is not one sided and
gives both sides an equal say. I found this article in the CQ Researcher library database by entering the
search term “Genetically Modified Foods” into the Quick Search box. I then selected the article “Biotech
Foods” from among the results that were listed.
2.
Koch, Kathy. "Food Safety Battle: Organic Vs. Biotech." CQ Researcher 4 Sept. 1998: 761-84. Web. 3
Mar. 2012.
Kathy Koch is an assistant managing editor who graduated in journalism from the University of North
Carolina and specializes in education and social-policy issues. She has freelanced in Asia and Africa for
various U.S. newspapers, including the Christian Science Monitor and USA Today. In the article Kathy
Koch compares the benefits of organic foods versus genetically modified foods. It shows examples of how
biotech companies are making it difficult for organic farmers by flooding the market with genetic products
at many levels. There are statements and examples of both sides of the debate over which is more
beneficial and which may not be as good as they claim to be. The article seems to be intended for the
average reader to inform them of both sides of the debate between the use of organic versus genetically
modified foods but it appears to lean more in favor of the organic foods. I don't believe it should be a
choice of one over the other. Both methods should have a chance and let the consumer decide what they
would like better. I found this article in the CQ Researcher library database by entering the search term
“Genetically Modified Foods” into the Quick Search box. I then selected the article “Food Safety Battle:
Organic Vs. Biotech” from among the results that were listed.
Renewable Energy
Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, 2017
From Opposing Viewpoints in Context
The United States and other industrialized nations use massive amounts of energy to power factories,
automobiles, electrical appliances, and other features of modern life. The two main sources of energy
are fossil fuels and renewable energy sources. Fossil fuels are substances such as oil, natural gas,
and coal that are formed from the decay of organic matter over millions of years. They are considered
nonrenewable energy sources because once they are extracted from the earth and burned, the supply
is depleted. Renewable energy sources, in contrast, are natural forces that are continually replenished
and can be utilized without being depleted. The diverse sources of renewable energy include solar,
geothermal, wind, hydropower, and biomass energy.
According to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy of the US Department of Energy,
renewable energy sources accounted for 13.8 percent of the electricity generated in the United States
in 2015, up from 9.3 percent a decade earlier. The sources of renewable electricity included
hydropower (6.1 percent of all electricity generated), wind electricity (4.6 percent), biomass electricity
(1.6 percent), solar electricity (1.1 percent), and geothermal electricity (0.4 percent). Of the total
electricity generated by renewable sources, hydropower accounted for 44 percent, followed by wind at
34 percent, biomass at 11 percent, solar at 8 percent, and geothermal at 3 percent. California was the
top state for renewable energy generation, with 27 percent of its electricity coming from hydropower
and other renewable sources as of 2016.
With increasing investment by the federal and state governments, renewable energy technologies
made up 64 percent of all additions to the nation’s electricity-generation capacity in 2015, including
wind power, which accounted for 46 percent of the newly installed renewable capacity, and solar
power, which accounted for 15 percent. Hydropower and biomass constituted 3 percent. The
remaining additional generating capacity came from two nonrenewable energy sources: natural gas
(30 percent) and nuclear energy (6 percent).
Critics of renewable energy argue that fossil fuels are well established entities and can provide energy
at lower costs than renewable sources. They also contend that jobs within the fossil fuel industries
may disappear with an increased focus on renewable energy. As of 2017, the oil and gas extraction
and coal mining industries employ more than 600,000 people in the United States.
Environmentalists and other supporters of renewable energy, on the other hand, argue that the
worldwide supply of fossil fuels is limited and will eventually run out. They claim that developing
renewable energy sources will create a more secure, reliable energy supply for future generations.
Although the initial development cost is high, supporters contend that rapid industry growth and
technological advances will drive costs down to the point that renewable energy sources will be
economically competitive with fossil fuels. Environmentalists also assert that the combustion of fossil
fuels produces carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that cause air pollution and contribute to
climate change. They note that investing in renewable energy sources can prevent environmental
degradation, protect public health, and create jobs. The Environmental Defense Fund estimated that
there were 769,000 jobs in renewable energy in 2015, with a job creation rate significantly higher than
that of the rest of the economy.
Hydropower
Hydropower harnesses the energy produced by the flow of water in large rivers. In a typical
hydropower plant, water flowing through a dam is channeled through pipes and used to turn giant
turbines that generate electricity. Examples of significant hydropower stations include Hoover Dam in
Nevada and Grand Coulee Dam in Washington state. As the leading renewable energy source in the
United States, hydropower accounted for 6.1 percent of the total electricity generated in 2015.
Hydropower has had an even greater impact globally. According to the World Energy Council, in 2016,
hydropower accounted for 71 percent of all renewable electricity generated worldwide and 16.4
percent of the electricity generated from all sources.
Like other renewable energy sources, hydropower does not produce air or water pollution. Hydropower
dams can also aid in flood control and facilitate the management of freshwater resources.
Environmentalists have criticized hydropower, however, for its effects on the surrounding natural
environment. The construction of hydroelectric dams causes significant changes in river ecosystems.
Critics charge that the large reservoirs created by dams displace human settlements, threaten native
plant and animal species, cause problems with sediment buildup, and waste valuable freshwater
resources by increasing the surface area that is subject to evaporation.
Wind Electricity
Wind is caused by uneven heating of the air over land and water. As warm air rises, cool air flows in to
take its place, and this circulation of air creates wind. Modern wind farms employ giant turbines to
capture the kinetic energy of wind and use it to generate electricity. In large-scale wind projects, the
electricity is delivered to the power grid by utility companies. Wind power supplied 191 TWh (terawatt
hours) of electricity in the United States in 2015—a tenfold increase from a decade earlier—which
accounted for 6 percent of all electricity generated that year. Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Iowa
ranked among the top states for wind power generation. The first offshore commercial wind farm in the
United States, located off the coast of Rhode Island, became operational in 2016.
Proponents of wind power cite its environmental and economic benefits. As a clean and renewable
source of energy, wind power helps improve air quality and public health. The industry also supported
100,000 jobs in 2016 and provided a new source of economic investment for rural communities.
Critics, on the other hand, argue that wind turbines mar scenic views, disrupt wildlife migration
patterns, and cause the deaths of thousands of pest-eating birds and bats.
Biomass Energy and Ethanol Production
Biomass energy, also known as biopower, is derived from plants and trees, which store energy from
the sun that can be released through combustion. Biomass can be burned to produce heat or
electricity, or it can be converted into a liquid or gas biofuel. Common sources of biomass include
wood and wood waste, corn and agricultural byproducts, and municipal solid waste. Electricity
generated from biopower accounted for 1.6 percent of all electricity generated in the United States in
2015. Although burning plant materials releases greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate
change, proponents of biomass argue that it is a carbon-neutral energy source because the plants
absorb an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide while they are growing.
Ethanol is one of the most commonly produced biofuels. It is an alcohol fuel made from sugars found
in agricultural products, such as corn, sugar cane, potato skins, wheat, and rice. In the transportation
sector, it is typically mixed with petroleum-based gasoline in ratios up to 85 percent ethanol (also
known as E85). Although ethanol is more expensive to produce than gasoline, it is renewable and
produces fewer pollutants. The United States produced 14.7 million gallons of ethanol in 2015,
accounting for 57 percent of the world’s supply. Critics have questioned whether the US government
should heavily subsidize the production of corn and ethanol, however, arguing that the diversion of
corn into ethanol production contributes to higher food prices while doing little to reduce demand for
gasoline.
Solar Energy
Solar energy comes from the sun in the form of solar radiation, which must be converted directly or
indirectly into electricity or other usable forms of energy. The two main methods used to generate
electricity from solar radiation are referred to as thermal and photovoltaic. Solar thermal
technology, also known as concentrated solar power or CSP, uses the sun’s rays to heat
liquid into steam, which can drive turbines and generate electricity. Solar photovoltaic
technology, also known as PV or solar cells, converts sunlight (photons) directly into
electricity (voltage). Both the solar thermal and solar photovoltaic methods can be used on a large
scale by utilities to generate power for the electric grid or on a small scale to generate supplemental
electricity or heat for homes, schools, and businesses.
Although solar power accounted for only 1.1 percent of all US electricity generation in 2015, the
total solar generation of 44.3 TWh represented an increase of more than 2,000 percent from 2009,
with most of the growth occurring in photovoltaic sources. While environmentalists and other solar
energy enthusiasts advocate solar energy as a clean and inexhaustible resource, critics note that
solar energy plants require extensive land to accommodate the large number of solar panels
needed to generate utility-scale electricity. The Solar Star PV farm near Los Angeles, for instance,
features 1.7 million solar panels that cover 3,200 square acres (13km2), making it the largest solar
project in the world. Critics also argue that solar energy is both unpredictable—because solar cells
only operate on sunny days—and inefficient, as solar technologies only convert about 15 percent of
the sunlight they absorb into electricity. Supporters contend that the efficiency of solar cells has
increased as the associated costs have decreased, and they expect both trends to continue with future
advances in technology. They also note that coal mining and other extractive industries involve more
intensive land use than solar farms.
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy comes from the heat produced beneath the crust of the earth. When water seeps
into the ground and comes into contact with hot and molten rock below the surface, it creates hot
water and steam that can be used directly or harnessed to generate electricity. Geothermal energy is
only commercially feasible in geologic hot spots, or parts of the world where hot rock lies near the
planet’s surface, such as volcanic regions and places where tectonic plates meet. Iceland is a leader
in the development of geothermal energy, which accounts for more than 25 percent of its total
electricity generation. The western half of the United States, especially California, Nevada, and
Alaska, is also considered prime territory for large-scale geothermal energy development.
The United States has more installed geothermal electricity capacity than any other country in the
world, with the majority located in California, followed by Nevada. However, in 2015, geothermal
electricity accounted for only 0.4 percent of the total electricity generated in the United States.
Although geothermal energy is considered reliable and efficient, it has not attracted as much interest
and investment as wind and solar. Critics have expressed concerns about the release of methane,
toxic chemicals, and salt from geothermal plants, as well as the seismic effects of injecting water into
the earth.
Hydrogen, Marine, and Hydrokinetic Power
Hydrogen is a plentiful element that is present in water, natural gas, coal, and biomass. Proponents of
its use as a renewable source of energy believe that it has the potential to provide a clean alternative
to fossil fuels. Hydrogen fuel cells convert the chemical energy in hydrogen to electricity that can be
used to power fuel-cell electric vehicles, generators, or industrial machinery. The US government has
invested billions of dollars in research aimed at developing hydrogen as a renewable energy source.
Hydrogen remains in its early stages, however, because of the difficulty involved in isolating the
element. Although hydrogen can be separated from water through an emission-free process called
electrolysis, the process is so expensive that it accounts for only 5 percent of hydrogen production.
The remaining 95 percent is extracted from fossil fuels, such as methane, through a process called
steam reforming, which releases greenhouse gases.
The US Department of Energy is also exploring a variety of methods to capture the energy in ocean
waves, tides, currents, and thermal gradients as a source of renewable electricity. This area of study,
known as marine and hydrokinetic power, has the potential to generate up to 1,850 TWh of electricity
per year. A number of experimental projects are underway to develop methods of harnessing these
natural forces without building new dams or other structures for the diversion of water.
US Energy Policy and Renewable Resources
US energy policy encompasses federal, state, and municipal laws and programs that set standards or
offer incentives to guide energy production and use. At the federal level, the Energy Policy Act of 2005
provided subsidies and funding for the development of wind, solar, and other renewable energies. As
part of the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, President Barack Obama allocated $27
billion for research, development, and investment in renewable energy and energy conservation
programs. Many of these programs were administered by the Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy (EERE) of the US Department of Energy. Research conducted or funded by EERE
contributed to a 74 percent decrease in the cost of solar energy derived from large utility-scale
facilities from 2010 to 2016 and helped renewable energy grow to become a $36 billion industry in the
United States by 2015. In early 2017, however, President Donald Trump proposed a federal budget
that would reduce EERE’s funding by 25 percent, which many analysts predicted would hamper the
agency’s renewable energy research. Trump and others favoring the proposal argued that market
forces, rather than federal policies, should determine whether renewable energy sources receive
private investment and public support. The Trump administration also expressed concern that federal
policies favoring renewable energy may place jobs at risk in the fossil fuel industry.
Proponents of renewable energy note that the market may continue to grow despite a change in
federal policy because so many states have adopted their own programs. As of 2015, twenty-nine
states, three US territories, and the District of Columbia had adopted renewable portfolio standards,
which require utilities to produce a certain percentage of all electricity using renewable sources by a
certain date. Eight other states and one territory had established voluntary targets for renewable
energy usage. The combination of federal and state policies helped new investment in renewable
energy reach $45 billion in 2015, an increase of 10 percent over the previous year.
Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2017 Gale, Cengage Learning.
Source Citation
"Renewable Energy." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2017. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ReferenceDetailsPage/Reference
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275db5b9e5d0e029. Accessed 6 July 2017.
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