There is an intricate design of pipes underground that pump gas to the gas stations. This is like a barrier that stops us from changing from fossil fuels to alternate fuel sources. Fossil fuels are cheap, easy to drill, and abundant. These benefits make it seem like they are the best source of energy, but it’s not. The downside to fossil fuels is that they emit pollutants that are bad for the air. Also, it takes millions of years for fossil fuels to form. (Clean Energy)
Fossil fuels impact the environment greatly, as this following statement says. “…carbon dioxide emissions contribute to harmful global warming and climate change, either now or in the future. Those who fear climate change have proposed new government policies to drastically reduce the use of fossil fuels” (Wojick). The United States government set up rules so that the pollution wouldn’t get too out of control. However, the climate temperature has increased greatly in the past decade. (Clean Energy)
The United States economy is also greatly impacted because of fossil fuels. “Total fossil fuel use in the United States has increased 20-fold in the last 4 decades. In the US, we consume 20 to 30 times more fossil fuel energy per capita than people in developing nations” (Pfeiffer). Basically, if we stopped using fossil fuels and started investing in different energy sources, then our economy would go into a major slump. It may even decline to be another depression.
Works Cited
"Clean Energy." Fossil Fuel Index. 07 Sep 2005. Union of
Concerned Scientists. 21 Oct 2007 <http://www.ucsusa.org/
clean_energy/fossil_fuels/>.
"Fossil Fuels." Profiles--Fossil Fuels. 2004. Iowa Public
Television. 19 Oct 2007 <http://www.iptv.org/exploremore/
energy/profiles/fossil_fuels.cfm>.
Pfeiffer, Dale. "Eating Fossil Fuel." Eating Fossil Fuel.
2004. The Wilderness Publication. 21 Oct 2007 <http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/100303_eating_oil.html>.
Wojick, David. "Benefits of Fossil Fuel Use." Environmental
Aspects of Fossil Fuel Use. 19 Feb 2004. The Greening
Earth Society. 21 Oct 2007 <http://www.bydesign.com/fossilfuels/links/html/fossil_fuel/fossil_fuel_green.html>.
