Question

Effective Expression: Writing and Editing

Sienna is writing an argument in favor of replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources. Read the draft of her introduction and her notes, and then complete the item(s) that follow.

Ending Our Dependence on Fossil Fuels

The ancient Romans burned coal in Britain: the ancient Chinese may have used it before then. Use of fossil fuels, including coal and, later, petroleum products such as kerosene and gasoline, expanded greatly with the Industrial Revolution.

These fuels are still a dominant source of power today. Since 1900, at least 80% of the energy we use in the United States has come from fossil fuels. Fossil fuel includes the gasoline we put in our cars, and it also includes the coal burned to make the electricity that runs our computers, lights, and appliances.

Unfortunately, use of fossil fuels comes at a price. I believe the government should create more policies to support alternatives.

Sienna made these notes about her argument.

fossil fuels—lead to air pollution
despite regulation, still create greenhouse gas emissions, still a problem
scientists warn: emissions add to global warming

fossil fuels—nonrenewable (means cannot be replaced); made by nature millions of years ago: earth presses on dead plant matter, takes millions of years to make fossil fuels, in the meantime, we are running out

fossil fuels—problems producing:
sometimes we depend on other countries (roughly half of the oil we use is imported); problems when price goes up or countries don’t get along
methods of producing, such as fracking, can be controversial: people question impact on environment

alternatives—renewable energy resources:
include solar power and wind power, biofuel (for example, ethanol made from sugar cane), geothermal
solar, wind, geothermal: no greenhouse gas emissions
biofuel: can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions (plants used for fuel are replaced; they eat up carbon dioxide in the air!)

government policies needed: help encourage businesses to build for the future (for example, tax credits for businesses that work on solar)


Drawing on details from Sienna’s notes, write the rest of the paragraph that begins with the two underlined sentences. Be sure to support the argument with reasons and evidence that are sufficient.

Answer 1

Unfortunately, use of fossil fuels comes at a price. Fossil fuels lead to air pollution and despite regulation, they still create greenhouse gas emissions. This has become a major issue as scientists warn that emissions add to global warming, which poses a serious threat to our planet. In addition, fossil fuels are nonrenewable and take millions of years to make. The earth presses on dead plant matter to make fossil fuels, but in the meantime, we are running out of these resources. There are also problems with producing fossil fuels, such as our dependence on other countries for roughly half of the oil we use. This can create problems when prices go up or when countries do not get along. Furthermore, methods of producing fossil fuels, such as fracking, can be controversial and raise questions about their impact on the environment. In contrast, renewable energy resources, such as solar power and wind power, biofuel made from sugar cane, and geothermal energy, offer a promising alternative to fossil fuels. These sources do not produce greenhouse gas emissions, and biofuel can even help reduce them as the plants used for fuel replace the carbon dioxide in the air. Therefore, I believe the government should create more policies to support alternatives and encourage businesses to build for the future, such as tax credits for businesses that work on solar energy.

Step-by-step explanation: