Fossil Fuels vs. Renewable Energy

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Over the last two centuries, humanity has become increasingly reliant on fossil fuels. Over that time, the consequences of constantly burning fossil fuels have accumulated into a threat to industrialized cities. The burning of fossil fuels causes acid rain to shower on cities and ecosystems around the world, tormenting their inhabitants. The increasingly deadly pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels has caused the deaths of many people around the world by causing respiratory problems. Not only has the pollution worsened, but the supply of fossil fuels is not limitless – as humanity’s reliance increases the supply decreases, and that is all the more reason to break humanity’s reliance on fossil fuels. Fossil fuels should be replaced with cleaner alternatives because fossil fuels cause environmental hazards, are non-renewable, and are detrimental to human health. Ever since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution at the end of the 18th century, fossil fuels have been used constantly, slowly changing the planet’s atmosphere. According to Mann, “the preindustrial level of CO2 was 280 parts per million (ppm)” (N. pag). He predicts that at current rates, we will reach 560 ppm by the end of the 21st century. To make matters worse, Mann states that 450 ppm is dangerous as it will cause an increase in Earth’s average temperature by 2 Celsius. He recommends taking measures to keep CO2 at less than 405 ppm (N. pag). Mann takes note that in 2013, the value managed to reach 400 ppm (N. pag). It is needless to say that the point of no return is right around the corner. Unfortunately, the affects of pollution are already felt around the world. Pollution can cause many health issues and damage several organs in the body. When people think ... ... middle of paper ... ...i. "Environmental Pathways Of Potential Impacts To Human Health From Oil And Gas Development In Northeast British Columbia, Canada." Environmental Reviews 20.2 (2012): 122-134. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Apr. 2014. Liu, Tingwu, et al. "A Combined Proteomic And Transcriptomic Analysis On Sulfur Metabolism Pathways Of Arabidopsis Thaliana Under Simulated Acid Rain." Plos ONE 9.3 (2014): 1-11. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 May 2014. Mann, Michael E. "False Hope." Scientific American 310.4 (2014): 78-81. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 May 2014. Smil, Vaclav. "The Long Slow Rise Of Solar And Wind." Scientific American 310.1 (2014): 52-57. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 May 2014. United States. Energy Information Administration. “Electric Power Monthly with Data for February 2014” eia.gov. US Energy Information Administration, 22 Apr. 2014. Web. 8 May 2014.

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