Imagine that one day, we run out of coal and natural gas to power our homes and businesses. Imagine there not being enough money to put in nuclear energy facilities to replace these. Life as we knew it would be much more difficult to sustain. That is where renewable energy comes in to save the day.
“Alternative energy” is a term used to describe the range of alternatives to fossil fuel-based energy” – Margaret Robertson Sustainability Principals and Practices
At the Lee County Waste to Energy Facility, they are creating renewable energy out of simply the garbage we produce. Each day, garbage trucks dump about 2,000 tons of trash that is then incinerated and turned into energy. The trash is turned into a sort of gas when burned and condensed to create energy that flows through power lines and offers clean power to houses in the area.
First, we put on our hard hats and headed into the claw room which looked similar to a prize claw, but this prize is much greater than a stuffed animal. This plant powers thousands of homes in the Lee County area and is clean and safe in terms of production. The plant is also on many renewable energy sites and is included in the top 100 list of sustainable practices in the United States.
If more cities in the United States were to create plants like this, the world would be one step closer to eliminating the use of fossil fuels. The world would be more sustainable and would be able to turn our trash into something other than a huge landfill. Energy costs would be lowered and the world will be cleaner just from a few extra plants. The costs may be high in building, but the result is worth every penny.
Reagen's Walk Into Nature 