IELTS Writing Task 2 with sample answer.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
One day the world’s oil and gas reserves will run out. The search for alternative energy sources like wind power, solar power, burning waste, and water power are causing as much environmental damage as the oil and unclear power sources they are intended to replace.
How far do you agree with this latter statement?
What possible benefits do the alternative energy sources bring? Or what damages do they cause?
Write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer 1:
Fossil fuels, such as oil and gas, are being used at breakneck pace that the future for fuels looks quite bleak. Many scientists present us with an apocalyptic vision of the future that the fossil fuels will be exhausted very soon. That is why, people are looking for alternative energy sources, for example wind power, solar power, burning waste and water power. But some people contend that alternative energy sources are also harmful as they cause damage environment as much as fossil fuels. In my opinion, the search for alternative energy sources is not causing as much as environmental pollution as the fossil fuels.
To begin with, alternative energy sources are more eco-friendly than fossil fuels. Compare with coal, which emits between 1.4 and 3.6 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt-hour (CO2E/kWh), natural gas emits between 0.6 and 2 pounds of CO2E/kWh, wind releases only 0.02 to 0.04 pounds of CO2E/kWh , solar releases between 0.02 and 0.7 pounds of CO2E/kWh, and hydroelectric 0.1 to 0.5 pounds of CO2E/kWh. The snippets of information clearly show that these renewable energy sources do not emit detrimental gases that cause global warming or air pollution.
Apart from that, renewable energy industry can generate myriad job opportunities. This is because the industry is more labour-intensive than fossil fuel technologies, which are usually capital-intensive and mechanized. This means that more jobs are created for each unit of electricity produced from the alternative energy sources than that of fossil fuels.
All things considered, it seems reasonable to assume that alternative energy sources are conducive to green environment and poverty alleviation program. It, therefore, is the high time to discard fossil fuel projects and switch to alternative energy sources.