"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination" -Jimmy Dean. Although Jimmy Dean is memorized for his breakfast brand, I feel as though this quote from him perfectly exemplifies the future of renewable energy: Wind. I've researched many sustainable energy sources throughout the years, but I truly believe wind energy is the best way to go with the flow, pun intended! Utilizing energy from wind turbines partially eliminates the world's greatest issue when it comes to climate change: carbon emissions. Some emissions are unfortunately released during the production of these wind turbines, but once they are complete they become completely emission-free, utilizing clean energy to power the world. With less carbon polluting interfering in Earth's greenhouse gas exchange, the world's overall temperature will hopefully stop increasing at such a rapid rate. Once we reduce our carbon emissions, everything else falls into place; The ice caps stop melting, which reduces the risk of major cities being plunged underwater. The ocean's temperature lowers, allowing fish to rise closer to the surface and feed. And most importantly, species stop fading from history as rising temperature causes them to leave their homes. Now, let's talk practicality. Yes, wind turbines are costly to initially install, but it's estimated that they pay back their cost in clean, valuable energy within 5-8 months. Once they are up and running, they are incredibly cheap to run, and require little to no maintenance. In fact, wind power is actually one of the lowest-cost energy options on the market! Solar panels may be more convenient for private use within communities, but wind power is the way to go for large companies and manufacturers, seeing as only 100 global companies produce as much as 70% of excess carbon emissions. The 10 U.S. companies that utilize the most energy are, you guessed it, energy companies! Vistra energy unfortunately takes the lead with producing 95 million metric tons of CO2 a year. . . and that's only ONE company! Imagine what could happen if just these 10 companies relied on wind energy? Imagine how much could change if ALL companies ran on renewable wind fuel! Some may argue that wind turbines are a threat to wildlife, which could in fact become true, but I fully believe there is a way around this. Most complaints have been of wind turbines potentially harming migrating birds, but ornithology experts could easily map data for areas where flocks tend to migrate and avoid placing turbines in those areas. High-frequency sounds have also been known to scare away birds, and so I believe adding them to wind turbines would be a financially sound expense for the safety and protection of our native species. Overall, I truly cannot see a valid argument as to why we should not put wind turbines as common practice in our highly-industrialized society. Not only are they cost-effective, but also one of the cleanest forms of natural energy humans can utilize along with being practical in practically every terrain. I hope this essay BLEW you away and will RISE to the occasion when talk of sustainability arises!

I fully believe recycling, sustainability, and climate change prevention is not only necessary, but our last hope at preserving our beautiful planet. Recently, the U.S. news channels have been urging viewers to take action against climate change more so than usual due to a rising threat: flooding. Popular cities such as Miami, Annapolis, and New Orleans are just a small handful of areas that face being underwater by 2050. With nearly 500,000 people taking residence in Miami alone, it's arguably the most important time to attack the source of this threat, which happens to be melting ice caps. Not only is flooding a huge threat, but also loss of land for species such as Polar Bears and Seals. The World Wildlife Fund has estimated that the Arctic will be ice-free in summer by 2040, which is a horrifying close calendar date! With this comes the problem of where these creatures are to go. Several polar bears have been spotted and killed in Canadian cities as they are forced to head south in hopes of finding solid land. This is equally a threat to both the bears and humans, as neither are meant to co-exist in the current climate. I understand that reducing our carbon emissions is the most effective and yet most difficult plan of attack, but I believe it's possible with global cooperation. In 2016, the UNFCCC agreed upon the Paris Agreement with the Unites States, Japan, and China (The world's highest carbon-emitting countries). This clause states that these countries shall work on setting carbon neutrality goals within their communities and potentially getting their emissions to net zero. Although the agreement was not a complete success, I believe if we raise enough awareness to create laws protecting our environment that we can keep our planet for years to come.