To Drill or Not to Drill?

The issue at hand is about opposing views on renewable energy. Whether renewable energy is beneficial for our environment or not beneficial at all. Summarizing what I read, one viewpoint says that it is better for our environment, and green, and clean to use solar powered, wind powered, and water powered energy sources instead of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. The other viewpoint states that it would take up too much land space to use these sources and that they are not “green,” and it would be better to use nuclear power as an energy source because it does not take up as much land space and is less costly. My position on this issue was originally renewable energy is beneficial for our environment. I believed this because I thought that using the fossil fuels was ruining our environment. Burning fossil fuels emits harmful gases. The use of coal, oil, and natural gas are causing problems with the earth’s o-zone layer and has caused the green-house effect and the fossil fuel supplies are depleting. I thought that using solar powered energy, geothermal energy, hydro-powered energy, wind-powered energy, hydrogen- powered energy, and biomass energy would bring about a green environment and help to save the earth in the end. Also renewable energy does not run out, and creates little or no pollution. After reading about renewable energy not being beneficial for the environment, I see where my perceptual blocks and habits hindered my way of thinking. I automatically thought that renewable energy being beneficial for the environment was the right way to go because I thought it was green and it uses the earth’s natural sources to give us energy. I did not consider the viewpoints of these sources taking up too much land space and these sources being very costly compared to the land space used and the cost of running a nuclear powerplant. I have now changed my point of view. To overcome perceptual blocks and habits hindering my thinking I can learn to look at things with an open mind instead of automatically choosing one viewpoint. I need to learn how to see all sides of a situation before I come up with a conclusion of my viewpoint or mindset. My thoughts have been manipulated by perception in the past by jumping to conclusions and making choices or decisions of what I decide my point of view will be without using an open mind or critical thinking skills.