By Emma Hargraves, Contributing Writer

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 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 facts that relying on dirty fossil fuels are not forever, and that transitioning to renewable energy such as solar is a stable source of eternal energy. We could meet our electricity needs 100 times over with just solar, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Cities like Burlington, Vermont, 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 UMass Lowell, I think we should start with Massachusetts colleges and universities.

As institutions that train engineers, economists, and the civic leaders of the future, colleges and universities are well positioned to lead the effort.