Energy consumption has become a key issue in our society. One of the main sources of energy is oil. And the most popular question people ask about it is how long can we rely on fossil fuel? But what are our other electricity plans options?
The debate over whether or not to shift from fossil fuels to green energy sources has been going on for decades. While many people believe that we should switch to green energy as soon as possible, others argue that it is necessary to keep exploring and extracting fossil fuels from the Earth in order to provide us with a cheap and stable source of energy.
Fossil Fuels – The Past
Let’s start by talking about fossil fuels. These are natural resources that were formed on the Earth over millions of years, but they are now being mined and used as a cheap source of energy. However, scientists have concluded that there is a limited amount of fossil fuels available on Earth and once we have used them all up they will no longer be retrievable. In fact, at least three-quarters of the oil in the ground needs to stay there if we want to keep the world from warming more than 2°C.
Green Energy – The Future?
There are many different ideas for alternative sources of energy, but the most popular ones are wind power, solar energy, geothermal energy, and hydropower. All these green technologies have significant benefits over fossil fuels. For example, they do not contribute to global warming or pollution which are two of the biggest concerns for future generations. On the other hand, green sources are not as effective as fossil fuels because they are intermittent which means that sometimes there is no wind blowing nor strong enough sunlight to generate electricity.
Why We Cannot Shift Quickly To Green Energy
Many people believe that it is time to leave our oil reserves in the ground and start using green energy in order to save our planet and future generations. However, others argue that we still need fossil fuels for at least another 70 years in order to ensure a stable supply of electricity and fuel which is needed in most sectors of the economy.
Another problem with switching from oil to green energy sources is, the fact that it takes a lot of time and effort to implement this change. Of course, there are faster ways to switch from fossil fuels to green technologies, for example, electricity from solar panels may be used immediately in homes or businesses instead of burning coal to make electricity. But no matter how fast we move, the oil will continue being used widely for transportation for at least three more decades.
In Conclusion
While there are many reasons for and against switching to green energy, it is clear that in the future we will need both renewable and non-renewable energy sources in order to keep our economy afloat and satisfy our ever-increasing demand for energy. Whether or not to shift slowly from fossil fuels to green energy remains to be seen.
