Dear Editor,
In good weather on my days off, I take a stroll with my little spotted beagle and bask in the benefits of my favorite star—the sun. I watch the wind ripple through the tall grass and I marvel at the power of the sun and the wind, wondering why we’re so reliant on dirty sources of energy.
We as a nation need to face the fact that we cannot rely on dirty fossil fuels forever, and that we must transition to renewable energy, such as solar, as a stable source of eternal energy. The United States could meet its electricity needs 100 times over with just solar power, according to the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Cities like Greensburg, Georgetown, Aspen and Burlington are already running on 100 percent renewable energy. Companies like Google, General Motors and Coca-Cola have plans to go 100 percent renewable. We should follow their lead. As a student at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, I think we should start with Massachusetts colleges and universities.
As institutions that train engineers, economists and the civil leaders of the future, colleges and universities are well-positioned to lead the effort.
Let’s get started!
Sincerely,

Emma Hargraves

UMass Lowell, Class of 2018