- Short Term Energy Shaping Policy Document
- This document is directed at your department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in influencing the officials into implementing policies, necessary for solving the current problems associated with the production, use and distribution of energy within the United States. This policy document is aimed at addressing these problems and provides suggestion on how your department can solve them. Here, the main issues of concerned is with regards to producing sufficient energy for use in the nation, ensuring minimal loss of energy and minimizing the emission of green house gases as a result of the production, used and the distribution of the sources of energy within the country.
- For decades, the energy policies relating to the environment has been dysfunctional. At the same time, attempts to move towards cleaner energy have threatened to plunge the nation into an economic instability. Therefore, it is logical that workable measures and positive strategies are implemented. This will help in ensuring that the government uphold goals of producing clean energy and maintaining economic growth. These can be achieved through increasing efficiency in the use of energy, reducing the production and consumption of fossil fuels, mitigating the emission of green house gases, carbon dioxide include, reducing the environmental impact of all museum activities and reducing the overall consumption of energy in the different sectors.
- Your administration ought to establish various mechanisms that will be able to assist in curbing the problems associated with the exploitation of natural gas. This form of gas that assists in the production of fuel depicts that it has serious significant problems that ought to be addressed. The gas produced after the deposition of methane in the earth’s crust is the cause of various environmental problems. According to various researches done after the establishment of natural gas production in Washington, they indicate that sources of this gas end causing more heat in the atmosphere. The research further indicates that the heat that sources of natural gas produce is more and may do harm than the mining or burning coal.
- The other main problem that your organization ought to address concerning the environmental problems associated with natural gas is that the release of methane into the atmosphere is in large quantities than expected earlier. The companies that deals with the production of natural gas tend to release most of methane in the atmosphere. This gas is the chief competent of the natural gas. The gas contributes in planet warming which is major problem that tend to affect the whole world.
- Long Term Energy Shaping Policy Document
- This document aims to present the issues of energy as proposed to the Environmental Protection Agency in the short-term energy policy-shaping document. Aside from this, the application of multiple rhetoric theories in addressing the issue of energy policy is discussed in this section. Here, the rhetorical theorists from whom I derived my arguments are outlined together with my understanding of their rhetorical concepts as applied in the argument. In addition, the discussion encompasses the level at which I have been influenced by the readings on public policy making together with how the readings affected the choices I made in terms of rhetorical concepts while developing this discussion. Counterarguments and negations are also included within the report.
- Since time immemorial, discussions, which focus on energy and ensuring the best possible use of the commodity, have taken over discussions at the federal level. The problems associated with energy production, use, distribution within the United States of America is a reality and some of the efforts s extended by the government and the various departments, though workable have to some extent not provided much help to this sector. The lack of long-term policy concerning various activities in the energy sector has definitely not helped the situation.
- There is a need to make and implement various policies that may help in minimising the production of natural gas. Although if it possible, the government ought to stop the production of this gas. As addressed in the short-term policy, there is a need to make significant quick policies that will contribute in keeping a clean environment. Before the governments make any developments in establishing new plants in relation with the production of natural gas, there is a need for the issues related to environmental conservation to be addressed. The government have always underestimated the amount of gas emitted from most of this production sites and all the way to the refining section of the gas. The reason why the government usually cover up this issue is that it tends to look only on the advantages of the gas and ignore the disadvantages. There is a need to make sure that if the concerned companies ought to continue producing the gases, there must be set a mechanism of making sure that
- When methane, which is the main component of the natural gas, is released in to the atmosphere, this creates a high level of heat. The gas producing companies tend to apply various methods that depict that they fail to use the recommended ones. This is because recent study shows that most of the methane gas emitted in the environment is due to the negligence of the producing companies. Most of the gas is emitted from the company’s wells with an intension aim. The gas also gets into the atmosphere through the lose fittings of connection pipes from the company’s production sites along the gas distributions lines. When the gas gets into the atmosphere, it is not renewable. This means that the country ought not to depend on these gases because at the end of the day, they will come to run out. This is demonstrated in some of the wells that other countries had managed to create but within a short period, the gas run out.
- Your organization also need to address the issue of natural gas is a disaster to the whole society near the various established wells. This is because whenever a certain location is identified to be a source of natural gas, the community of the specific area have to relocate to another land. The people of that area do not willingly relocate, but it is through order from the government. Government officials promise the people that it will buy another land for them, but in some cases, they fail to honour their promise. When the community manage to get another land from the government after the relocation, most of them argue that they get non-productive land compared to the former one. Most of the people argue that during the relocation, many of their things get distracted. They lose of their properties that had they took a lot of time to achieve. Others argue that the life becomes harder after the relocation because everything starts afresh. They start building new schools for their children, dispensaries and other important public facilities.
- As an organization you ought to raise the concern that working on the natural gas rig is always dangerous because if the risk of explosions. The gas is usually highly flammable and in most of the time causes a lot of damage whenever there is an explosion. Bad weather may also result to causing very serious accidents within the gas rig that might lead to deaths. The organization ought to argue that many of this issues that the community raise concerning the gas rigs do happen and claim precious lives of innocent people. The government ought to come up with the mechanism o protecting the workers of the gas rigs if it intends to benefit from the gas. However, your organization ought to argue that because the government will always drug in making such important decisions of protecting the workers, the gas rigs ought to be closed.
- Apart from the fact that the gas may lead to risks of explosion in various the product area, it be dangerous to the whole community as well. For example, the gas does not have any odour and is tasteless. This might lead to difficultness in finding potential hazardous leaks that might cause a great loss in future. The organization also needs to argue that the government always incur huge expenses in creating and managing the pipelines that connect to the production sites of the gas.
- Another issue to consider is that natural gas usually have a significant negative impact to local water sources. Recent research indicates that the techniques currently in use nowadays for the extraction of the gas tend to add various new dimensions to water management especially for the gas industry. The cause of the difficultness in the management of the water is that near these sites is due to the quantity and the nature of fluids involved in the water. For example, it is worth to note that to drill a gas rid requires about six million gallons of water. Another amount of water of is used mostly to with the combination of a certain fluid in order to break the surrounding rock. Various large amounts of chemicals are used in the process breaking the surrounding rock in order to enhance the fracturing process. The chemicals help in the process by reducing friction and preventing corrosion during the process of extraction.
- The production of natural gas has various challenges that are directly connected to waste water disposal. The gas wells most of the time contributes to yield unwanted water to the surface of the earth that comes along with various gases. The water most of the time is known to accompany some dissolved particles that are not suitable for human consumption. The water associated with the natural gas production sites tend to be saline and therefore unsuitable for consumption. Most of the methods used in disposing the wastewater from this companies fail to meet healthy standards and therefore pose as a great problem to the surrounding community. For example, in most of the time, the wastewater is injected to the underground aquifers that in this case are already saline, therefore unnecessary to help the community in the society. The other issue that ought to be addressed is the occurrence of minor earthquakes. The process of extraction also ought to cause large earthquakes in future according to a recent research.
- The existence of short-term policy associated with energy sector has aided the United States handle some of the perennial need and issues that government has had m concerning the production, use and distribution the numerous energy resources. Among the major dissuasions that have gained momentum in the recent past include the need for nations to produce energy that does justice to the environment aside from helping in the maintaniace of the global economic activities. Such measures have, as addressed in the short tem version, include themed for the players in the energy sector to facilitate the use and consumption of energy sources that are free from carbon emissions, are easy to conserve and effective in the long run. These discussions have not only been advanced at the national level but also in the international spheres. The commitment to causes like the Kyoto protocol and the Copenhagen conference among others are exemplary of such causes.
- Global warming is a real problem in the world and dealing with it ought to be one of the major goals of the united state’ energy departments and the government. Principles like those advanced by the Kyoto protocol are relevant in ensuring that such gaols are met. Laws like the ones associated with the Global Warning Solution Acts as included in the Kyoto protocol should be adequately considered in accomplishing these goals. Influential officials within the different states within the United States should also be used in helping the entire society achieve these goals. Considering the expansive magnitude of the United States, dealing with these goals can be an uphill task when dealt with at a national level only. Governors should take part in implementing these mechanisms in their states to enable the United States meet the goals as a unit.
- According to the proposals advanced in the policy-shaping document the following issues are anticipated as necessary to be advanced by the department. The document proposes that the department aids in ensuring that all sectors put to use efficient measures in the consumption of energy. Such measures would include the likes of ensuring that the country has sufficient supply of gadgets that save on energy use.
- The need for a reduction in the production and consumption of fossil fuels aside from mitigating the emission of carbon oxide and other green house gases are also of essence. The switch to production of renewable energy in massive quantities and the application of green energy in meeting frequent energy use could possibly achieve the two proposals. Presently, the use of renewable energy in the United States covers for slightly above eight percent of energy use. Among the areas where this form of energy is used include the production of electric power. Increasing the production of this energy sources will be of essence. This will in fundamentally ensure that the scope for its use is widened and thus fossil fuel energy use diminished. To accomplish this, funding ought to be increased in establishing features like hydroelectric plants, solar power and wind energy. Generally, increasing the percentage of use of renewable energy source will enable the government go a long way in helping the united sates and the whole in dealing with the issue of green house gases within the environment?
- In addition to these measures, the proposal found it wise that the energy department also puts in strategies to advance a reduced level of consumption of energy from all quarters. This is a measure considered to be significant in helping reduce the amount of green house gases emitted within the atmosphere owing to the prevalent use of energy. Energy efficient innovations are numerous in the world and include the likes of better-quality freezers and refrigerators. They also include resourceful water heaters, cutting-edge methods of heating, progressive building regulator machineries, smart windows capable of adjusting in order to sustain a relaxed internal environment, improved ventilation and cooling mechanisms, compact fluorescent lights and a secure stream of improved building programmes relevant in plummeting unnecessary use of energy. These mechanisms if adequately put in place would help the country a great deal in reducing the need for massive production of energy.
- Extensive investment in this area is an undertaking that should not be taken lightly not only by the agency but also by the government at large. The government should participate in tis in variety of ways, say in the provision of grants for project that are geared towards reducing the production distribution and use of fossil fuels while advancing the use of renewable energies. The departments should take the role of updating the energy efficiency plan and deliver them to the national policy makers in a bid to enhance the implementation of such projects.
- The use of rhetoric in this discussion is evident in aiding me advance the relevance of the proposal. The use of logic within the proposal is widespread. In persuading the department official to aid in the adoption of the issues as presented in the document, the use of the aspect of reason has been put to the fore. This is in a bid to persuade the audience of the document in heeding to the indispensable need that exists within the society. Logic as applied in the discussion mainly in offering reasons as to why change in the modes of which energy sources are produced, distributed and consumed are important. Such reasons encompass the negative impact, which the inappropriate use, production and distribution of energy has caused to the environment, the possible and functional way in which such impacts can be abated and the procedures that if implemented change help the department achieve this indispensable goal.
- Aside from logic, the rhetoric aspect of ethos has been used in advancing the argument. In spite of the massive quest for the acquisition of energy sources, the department is persuaded into creating a balance between the measures used in meeting the never-ending demand for energy and the need for environmental conservation. It is not right to destroy the environment indiscriminately and without much thought in the effort of meeting material needs within the society. In effect, my understanding of rhetorical concepts encompasses the need ability of one to use the various aspects of persuasion in advancing arguments, most of which make clear sense within the environment of discussion. As such, I have applied multiple rhetorical concepts in persuading the department to save the environment and to achieve many other goals by looking into the gaps within the energy policy.
- In essence, advanced readings from sources discussing the subject of policymaking influenced my view in putting forward these proposals. Studying these readings has gone a long way in helping me understands the whole aspect of policy making. The reasons behind making and changing policies have been addressed in most of these reading which have subsequently helped me fully understand the logic in writing not only these policies but others too. Aside from these, they have enabled me know the means by which to address issues within policy document aside from how to persuade the audience on adopting the proposals presented within a document. Further they have influence my capability in putting to use the different concepts of rhetoric in coming up with adequate arguments concerning the issue of clean and sufficient use of energy not only in the united states but in the world as a whole.
- In advancing this discussion, a variety of approaches as advocated by renowned theories has been applied. One of the theories of rhetoric’s as used in the discussion is the one advanced by Socrates. According to Socrates, persuasion ought to be used as a means of improvement. According to him, persuasion is a practice of virtue, which, while pursuing excellence, has presented itself over time as a procedure necessary for self-improvement. Persuasion should be applied in encouraging participation of appropriate models within the society. Besides this, it should function to improve both the author and the audience of the proposals that are expressed.
- This discussion has essentially used the various methods of persuasion in proposing ideas necessary in improving the environmental condition in the use of energy. The use various concepts of rhetorical concepts, in essence have the capacity in persuading the department in making proper decisions about the use and distribution of energy. For the sake of benefiting both the department and the citizens of the nations, the rhetorical concepts of logic and ethos have widely been used in advancing the arguments in the discussion.
- Another method of persuasion as applied in the discussion is derived from the concepts advanced by Aristotle’s. Aristotle’s who advanced the use of the aspects of logic; pathos and ethos in advancing arguments however, did put more emphasis on the aspects of logic. This discussion aside from advancing the needs for ethical standards within the society has attempted to promote the application of reasoning in policy making processes. In fact, logical explanations behind the need for change in the policy document are provided in the document.
- There are various instances where the element of logic has been applied in the policy document. Some of these instances include where the advancement of energy saving innovations will help in reducing the massive need of energy. This helps in saving of the use of fuel and other sources of energy and the persuasion of the department and the government in increasing funding for projects associated with renewal energy productions. These arguments range from explanations on the existing gaps within the energy policy and functional means through which all the players in the energy sector can fill these gasps.
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