Fossil fuels have been the main
source of the energy all over the world. They increase the amount of CO2
emissions, and the emission of CO2 is a great cause of global
warming in the atmosphere, destroying the atmospheric layers. What can we do to
lower the demand of fossil fuels and become more eco friendly with renewable
energy resources? The percent of US transportation sector consumption is 95.4%
fossil fuels (Article 3), and this shows the reliance of the US on fossil
fuels. As the Institute for Energy states, “Fossil Fuels make modern life
possible” and that the only reason that our modern society works and the
privileges we get are all due to the fact of fossil fuels (Article 3). Need I
remind you: fossil fuels are limited and could go out?
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Where would that leave
this modern life we all so adore? Now fossil fuels are becoming more
monopolistic, controlling the energy, but how is that safe? Power equals money,
but energy equals power. Fossil Fuels provide around 90% of the world’s energy;
however, even though fossil fuels may provide more energy, they harm the
environment while we use the energy. There are three major sources in fossil
fuels: coal, natural gas, and petroleum. While renewable sources may not be as
proven as the fossil fuels, they are still making developments in the renewable
resources technology and if expanded renewable resources could prove just as
effective as fossil fuels or maybe even more effective. Renewable resources
should be used more often than the fossil fuels, to reduce our dependence on
fossil fuels and to start a new era of energy, making our modern life a little
more futuristic.
Energy relies on three basic
necessities: dependence, consumption, and lastly ease of appropriating. We are coming to the point in society where we need energy
just as badly as we need oxygen. As mentioned before the world’s energy is 90%
fossil fuels and the U.S. is not even the main supplier, instead Saudi Arabia
is the main crude oil supplier. If the U.S. was to run out of their oil
deposits would we become as reliant on Saudi Arabia as we are to crude oil? Two
countries with so much tension, one would get the leverage and could possibly
hold it against the other. It is not impossible for Iceland, the greenest
country in the world; it only has a dependence of 15 percent of its energy on
fossil fuels. Iceland uses renewable resources like geothermal energy and
hydropower energy, and combined makes 85% of its energy showing fossil fuels
are not greatly needed.
Read more at Wakefield High School, Arlington
Public Schools, Arlington, VA.
Barrel of fuel and hydroelectric power plant images via Shutterstock.