Rewards For Producing Less Gas
by: Elizabeth Arias
In Illinois, the two main causes of environmental destruction are non-renewable energy and irresponsible farming. The Illinois Environmental Council states that about 20% of Illinois rivers have been degraded and contaminated due to the production of crops and fertilizer runoff. Water contamination not only harms the water source, but also people’s health.
In an attempt to fix this problem, members of the Metea Valley delegation proposed a bill to reduce carbon emissions. The bill will provide an incentive to switch to renewable resources and also protect those who could lose their job as a result of the bill. Their plan is to try to remove nonrenewable energy resources by implementing solar panels and by creating more regulations for farmers in terms of fertilizer runoff.
Legislator, Haley Zuri, is proposing this bill because “one state needs to get the ball rolling” in fighting climate change and she believes Illinois can be that state. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, renewable energy is extremely useful because it does not produce greenhouse gases, diversifies energy, and creates jobs. As a result, we will have a cleaner environment and more employment opportunities. According to Zuri, obstacles that could be encountered in the legislative process would be the cost and the controversial progress tax that would need to be implemented.
