Writing an Extended Response

The U.S. Federal Government should subsidize Green Energy

Cheryl Mitchell, Director, Green America Organization

1. Fossil fuels oil and coal will run out worldwide between 2050 and 2060. In order to
be prepared, the world needs to transition from using fossil fuels to using a variety of
green energies. Rather than taking many years to get started in producing energy in
the U.S., green energy companies will develop faster with government subsidies.

2.Green energy won’t run out and its maintenance requirements are lower than the
requirements for fossil fuels. Green energy will save money, have health and
environmental benefits, and help the US become independent from depending on

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energy from foreign countries.
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3. Subsidies to help green energies grow faster will result in more jobs created a ccinothe
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field, which will increase economic growth in the U.S. as well as worldwide,r a m explains
a report by the International Labour Office (ILO).
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4. Pollution from fossil fuels, such as emissions
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citizens’ health, as does burning in factories.
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5. At present an enormous
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amount of coal is burned in power plants to produce
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electricity, while most oil for transportation, such as gas to run cars and
ak use of green energy will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in
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trucks. Increased
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the air and have a positive effect on our citizens’ health.

6. Oil subsidies exist to reduce costs to the consumers, for gas for cars and for
heating houses when it is very cold in winter. Instead of subsidizing heating oil for
low income people, the government needs to help them change the heating systems
in their from oil to electricity. Currently, government subsidies make electric cars
cheaper for people, in order to reduce pollution in the air, especially in cities with lots
of cars. A report by the Center for American Progress gives us the current situation
of the movement in the U.S. toward electric vehicles, encouraged by government
subsidies.

7. While some people complain about giving subsidies to green energy companies,
they may not know that U.S. has been subsidizing coal companies for 200 years and
subsidizing oil companies for about 100 years. Both coal and oil make good profits
and they no longer need subsidies, as explained in a report by the Environmental
and Energies Study (EESI). Nevertheless, once the government starts giving
subsidies, it is very hard to stop, often because of political reasons.
 8. We need to plan for future generations and develop new kinds of green energy to
provide power for electricity, vehicles and other purposes. We have from 29 to 39
years to change our sources of energy, before there is no oil or coal left to use.
Subsidies of green energy companies will give us a chance to start using green
energy instead of fossil fuels.

End of Mitchell’s Writing

Subsidize Green Energy

Dr. Arbolt, Owner of Arbolt Electric Company

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9. The U.S. federal government has subsidized green energy already and it should
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not subsidize it any more. Companies should be set up and succeed on the free
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market, with no government help. If they fail, it is because they are not run properly.
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Occasionally companies fail on the free market. By “free market” we mean
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producing, buying and selling in a normal way, without government help or control.
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10. Look at Solyndra, the solar panels company. It received millions of dollars in

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loans from the U.S. federal government and it went bankrupt (it failed) in 2011. This

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shows that the government helped a company that was not well- orgainzed and not
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run by a good businessman. This is explained in the report, “The Solyndrme & the
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Green Stimulus Delusion.” The U.S. government needs to let green energy
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companies survive on their own: it is these companies’ fault if they fail.
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GE11. Well paid lobbyists influence congressmen and representatives to assist the
green energy industry. Now even some solar companies say they do not need
assistance any longer, yet many people push for these companies to get more help.
Subsidies to green energy mean that citizens pay higher taxes which is not right. The
green energy industry is profiting from taxpayers.

12. The job of the Environmental Protection Angency, a U.S. govenment agency
(govenment department) known as the EPA, is to protect citizens’ health, for
example from emissions. Let the EPA do its job if there are any concerns about fossil
fuels and emissions.

13. We do not need to help solar and wind power companies. Sun and wind are an
intermittent source of energy (intermittent: the sun doesn’t shine and the wind
doesn’t blow all the time). Additionally, we do not know how to store (keep) the
electricity when there is too much energy from the sun or wind.
 End of Arbolt’s Writing

Prompt

Analyze the arguments presented in the press release and the letter to the editor. In
your response, develop an argument in which you explain how one position is better
supported than the other. Incorporate relevant and specific evidence from both
sources to support your argument. Remember, the better-augued position is not
necessarily the position with which you agree. This task should take approximately
45 minutes to complete.

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