New York’s main source of energy is formed through fossil fuels, an unsustainable and harmful source of fuel to the environment. Researchers found that the use of nonrenewable energy plays a major contribution to the pollution and health problems in our environment. Research found that , “Data from the New York City Department of Health finds that the asthma hospitalization rate for children in the Bronx is 70 percent higher than the rest of NYC and 700 percent higher than the rest of New York State, excluding New York City” (Date for Progress). Seeing how the ongoing climate change and asthma-related illnesses in New York City are continuing to grow substantially, we need to begin using more sustainable energy as a whole. Wind electricity works well to improve air quality and improve public health. Although wind electricity works as a viable source on its own, the addition of solar energy, specifically photovoltaic, strengthens the benefits in crowded areas such as New York City. Solar and wind energy can work simultaneously and benefit from one another to fix the issues in New York; wind energy can be placed in areas such as upstate where there are open lands while solar energy, specifically photovoltaic panels, can be used on rooftops of buildings and be stored to use in colder weathers.

“According to Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, the South Bronx and Northern Manhattan have one of the highest death and disease rates from asthma in the country, and childhood asthma accounts for a large portion of emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and deaths’ ‘ (2021). If we continue to use fossil fuels, we continue to create toxic substances which cause these concerning issues. With the use of renewable energy such as wind, the production of greenhouse gas emissions will be stopped, thus allowing for a reduction in pollution. Alongside, it helps individuals as it creates wealth and local employment. As stated, “Wind energy is the source of green energy because (1) it is infinitely sustainable and non-polluting energy (2) It does not require fuel (3) It does not produce greenhouse gasses (GHG), and (4) it does not generate toxic or radioactive waste.” (Impacts of renewable energy atlas: Reaping the benefits of renewables and biodiversity threats). Wind energy is able to function through the blades on the wind turbines. The blades capture the kinetic energy from the wind and use that to generate electricity (Renewable Energy). This being said, as the upstate area of New York is filled with open land, wind turbines can be placed there and generate electricity in a more sustainable way.

New York is a huge state; home to over 8 millions individuals and tons of large scale buildings causing electricity to be constantly being generated. With this said, one energy source is not enough to combat the climate change in New York City and address the asthma-related illness in the South Bronx and Northern Manhattan communities. Pairing wind energy with solar energy, specifically photovoltaic panels, will help us overcome these issues. Solar energy is another form of renewable energy that involves the conversion of solar radiation into electricity or other forms of usable energy. As stated, “Photovoltaic (PV) technology converts sunlight directly into electricity. Photovoltaic technology allows electricity to be generated less expensively, but energy collected using CSP can be stored at a much lower cost.” (Renewable Energy). Solar energy is extremely beneficial as it is a clean energy source, there are infinite stores of solar rays that can be used to power the technology that is used by solar energy, and it has a very low maintenance cost. Photovoltaic panels can be tremendously useful in New York City as there is an abundance of buildings with open rooftops. These rooftops can be used to place these panels and generate electricity that can be stored for the colder weather. Research found that, “Although the Southwest has the greatest solar resource, a solar panel in New Jersey displaces significantly more sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter than a panel in Arizona, resulting in 15 times more health and environmental benefits.” (Regional variations in the health, environmental,and climate benefits of wind and solar generation). Combining both solar and wind energy can be exceedingly useful in New York City as they are able to address the current issues. As both dont emit any greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, well be able to see a reduction in climate change and other ongoing matters.

However, others argue that wind and solar energy are unreliable due to the fact that New York’s weather is extremely inconsistent. They believe that the wind won’t always be blowing and the sun won’t always be shining causing some concerns to its usage. According to the text, “Aside from their still-high cost, the primary drawbacks for solar and wind power are that they are intermittent; there is no economic way to store the electrical energy for use at night, on cloudy or windless days, and during peak usage hours; and their environmental impacts are significant and negative.” Although this is true, individuals have found their ways around these problems. With the constant development of technology, they are able to create different solutions for the different scenarios that may occur. As stated, “But since then, utilities have discovered ways to tackle this problem by using technologies like natural-gas plants that can be quickly turned on to meet spikes in demand, better weather forecasting and, increasingly, vast battery storage projects such as those planned in Nevada and California.” (New York Times). Solar energy is also able to be stored which will be useful on days where the sun doesn’t shine, or whenever it appears to be cloudy. Additionally, wind and solar energy was discovered to be significantly cheaper than fossil fuels.

In conclusion, as we move forward we need to put an end to fossil fuels and begin using wind and solar energy in New York. Seeing how these two have benefits on both the environment and citizens, it’ll be great for long term use. Wind turbines can be placed in the rural areas of New York while photovoltaic panels can be placed on the buildings of New York City. Not only are tAlongside, these energy sources open up jobs for citizens which will aid many. Wind and solar aren’t the only types of renewable energy sources, however when combined they are incredibly powerful and will be able to combat New York’s current issues.

Works Cited

Driessen, P. K. (2005). Solar and Wind Power Are Unproductive and Environmentally Harmful. In S. A. Kallen (Ed.), At Issue. What Energy Sources Should Be Pursued? Greenhaven Press. (Reprinted from The False Promise of Renewable Energy, www.heartland.org, 2001) https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010331210/OVIC?u=cuny_ccny&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=fddafec4
Kanfer, B. (2021, April 7). The Bronx is an epicenter for coronavirus and environmental injustice. Data For Progress. Retrieved April 1, 2022, from https://www.dataforprogress.org/blog/5/18/bronx-is-epicenter-for-coronavirus
Nazir, M. S., Bilal, M., Sohail, H. M., Liu, B., Chen, W., & Iqbal, H. M. N. (2020, June 30). Impacts of renewable energy atlas: Reaping the benefits of renewables and biodiversity threats. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. Retrieved April 3, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360319920320231?casa_token=TEQnrf5EKMUAAAAA%3AArVY1A4hHGXiEkAYgj9okm2Q8VPnbqg8ZA7qcR6jz-11I6hEQTeT94EadxxSwzDM0dtK966z
Plumer, B. (2020, May 13). In a first, renewable energy is poised to Eclipse Coal in U.S. The New York Times. Retrieved April 3, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/13/climate/coronavirus-coal-electricity-renewables.html
Siler-Evans, K., Azevedo, I. L., Morgan, M. G., & Apt, J. (2013, May 23). Regional variations in the health, environmental, and … Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1221978110
Renewable Energy. (2021). In Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Gale. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/PC3021900146/OVIC?u=cuny_ccny&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=e2ea4772