Kerr’s Green Debate Team

In our society today, Global Warming is starting to affect our planet, the earth. Major leaders of major countries put their heads together and try to think of ways to prevent and/or save out planet for ending soon then it has to be. So far our leaders and their economic team have thought of wind turbines, electric cars, recycling, saving electricity light bulb, solar power and many more. I am here today to talk about solar power, because I think the solar power idea was the coolest idea being thought of.

Solar power is promoting people to “go green” According to an article that I have read called “ Europe’s way of encouraging solar power Arrives in the U.S”, it said “This month Gainesville, Fla., became the first city in the United States to introduce higher payments for solar power, which is otherwise too expensive for many families or businesses to install. City leaders, who control their electric utility, unanimously approved the policy after studying Germany’s solar-power expansion. Hawaii, where sky-high prices for electricity have stirred interest in alternative forms of power like solar, hopes to have a similar policy in place before the end of the year. The mayor of Los Angeles wants to introduce higher payouts for solar power. California is considering a stronger policy as well, and bills have also been introduced in other states, including Washington and Oregon.”  Those words are showing us that our nations is moving as one and thinking as one nation to achieves a life- long goal of saving our planet form the dangers of Global warming. This also wrote “I’m seeing it with my own eyes — it’s really having a good effect on our local economy, particularly in these hard times,” said Edward J. Regan, the assistant general manager for strategic planning at Gainesville Regional Utilities in Florida. He said he had gotten calls from other cities and states since announcing the policy.” Even to me if really amazing to see that city leaders and its citizen are trying to think and proceed as one United Nations.

Solar power is expensive, but the most benefit way. In the same article, it says the “   Wind power and other sources of renewable energy are generally included in the European payment systems, but solar — as one of the costliest renewable — has benefited the most. Payment rates in Europe for wind are substantially lowered than for solar, according to Christian Kjaer, chief executive of the European Wind Energy Association.

In the United States, solar panels remain prohibitively expensive — a big reason that the panels account for far less than 1 percent of electricity generation. Generating power from the sun using rooftop panels can cost four times as much as coal, the largest and cheapest source of electricity in this country.” Being said there, solar power has benefited us the most. People spend thousands of dollars for solar panels to be put on their roofs, and thinks that it is a waste of money, but I beg a differ. According to this article, it said “If a utility commits to paying a higher rate for renewable power over a period of years, it can offer those with solar panels or wind turbines a steady return that helps defray the initial cost of the equipment. “If you put your money in, you know you’re going to get it back,” Mr. Rickerson said, referring to Germany.” So the solar panels really helpful toward the global warming that is happening to us, right now. And also you can power your house when a storms hits, when everyone has no power at all during a storm.

So from solar power benefiting us to the cost of solar panels being on our roofs, we are trying to make a difference as a nation. But we can’t do it with your help, so ask your parents, friends and teacher what they are doing to save our home planet from global warming.  There is that I remember, the quote said “Don’t ask what your country could do for you, but you could do for your country”  Thank you.

-Nancy Ton