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Stop Fossil Fuels, Use Green Sources of Energy
The use of fossil fuel forms part of the highest rate of energy sources globally. Fossil energy is man’s main companion in the world at large. The fossil energy sources are formed through the decomposition of dead fauna and flora that existed underneath the crust due to high temperatures over very many years ago. The fossil energy sources include but are not limited to petroleum, natural gas as well as coal.
Overall, from the available statistics, the globe is largely over-reliant on fossil energy to meet the day-to-day energy requirements. Owing to the fast rate of consumption of fossil energy, the implication is that once all the fossil fuels are used up, the human population will need to depend on the alternative sources of energy, for instance, solar, water and wind-generated energy to meet the day-to-day energy requirements (Miller & Spoolman, 2012). It sounds sort of a scary submission, but yes, this is a reality that the human population is yet to realize.
The fossil fuels are able to use large amounts of energy. They are very combustible. The combustion engines require less fuel to get powered while producing large volumes of energy. It is the most portable form of energy and has been popularized due to industrialization across the globe. The fossil energy sources have a high calorie value. The most valuable fossil has more efficient fossil power. The fossil power sources are the highest producers of calorific value in relation to energy (O’Brien, Pearsall, & O’Keefe, 2010). This is the reason why most of these sources are used over the renewable green sources of energy or the alternative sources of energy.
In as much as the fossil fuels have got the strengths outlined above to warrant their use, it is a source of energy that is capable of causing a lot of damage to the ecosystem that is able to impact negatively on the entire environment. The combustion of fossil energy sources, for instance, coal and natural gas have generally been agreed to cause damaging impacts towards the ecosystem through the fact that they release harmful greenhouse gases, for example, carbon dioxide; causing the greenhouse effect that leads to global warming (O’Brien, Pearsall, & O’Keefe, 2010). Carbon dioxide gas is mainly emitted in large numbers from energy industries because of the combustion or rather incineration of fossil fuels.
As per the Defra records of 2004, about 37% of the emissions in the United Kingdom came from incineration of fossil fuels which went high above the emissions from industry and residential areas added together. 21% of emissions were from road transport which is the other major contributor of carbon dioxide. Among the basket of six harmful gases that the UK has vowed to decrease ( CFCs, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, perflourocarbons, methane and sulphur hexafluoride), carbon dioxide is the most predominant and most disastrous gas towards the ecosystem (O’Brien, Pearsall, & O’Keefe, 2010). These gas emissions are called greenhouse gases because they are believed to be the major contributors of global warming. The gases collect in the atmosphere forming a blanket which reduces the penetration of heat and thus it remains in the atmosphere without escaping (O’Brien, Pearsall, & O’Keefe, 2010).
In my own considered opinion, I agree with the view that it is order to stop and inverse this global warming issue by shunning the use of fossil fuels to harvest energy and embrace the use of green energy sources or the renewable sources of energy. I agree with the use of alternative sources of energy because the renewable sources are environmentally-friendly. Moreover, since there is only a limited supply of fossil fuels, it will be prudent to begin embracing the use of alternative sources of energy. This is because the supply of coal and natural gas have started dwindling while their cost is skyrocketing, increasing the rate of inflation thus leading to a possible tension in the unstable regions that have rich deposits of oil.
The question that we need to address is whether the fossil fuels are environmentally safe and clean to use. Should we make attempts to reduce on the amount of fossil fuel that we are using year-year? The response here is yes. Currently, there are very many alternative sources of energy including more renewable sources of energy, for instance, sun, water and wind generated energy. In spite of the requirement to decrease fossil fuel gas emissions, there has been reluctance and sluggishness to act by the fossil fuel sector.
Most of the opposing views concerning the use of alternative sources of energy have erupted from the fossil fuel sector which has only been done to serve their economic interests (Miller & Spoolman, 2012). The need to develop alternative sources of fuel is currently being accepted widely by corporations as well as individuals as espoused in both the international, European so as domestic law. In the long run, it is the interests of the energy industries that will have the economic benefit through putting their capital outlay in sustainable energy forms.
- Miller, G. T., & Spoolman, S. (2012). Environmental Science. Cengage Learning.
- O’Brien, G., Pearsall, N., & O’Keefe, P. (2010). The Future of Energy Use. Routledge