Have you ever imagined what life will be like in the future? Do you think our world will
have a bright future, without poverty or war? As of now, the opposite is coming true. By the end
of the century, most of our forests will disappear, poverty will become even more common, and
countries will be fighting for the last drop of oil.
This future, however, can be avoided. By reducing emissions on our world’s natural
resources, we can change our planet’s fate. This is why the world needs to have stricter policies
on using natural resources. To better understand this, we will first identify the issues with the
world’s consumption of resources, then examine the errors in our world’s natural resource
policies, and finally sample a solution …show more content…
As noted in the book, The
Moral Case for Fossil Fuels by Alex Epstein, 87 percent of energy used by humans today is
from fossil fuels alone. That’s 94 million barrels, or over 675 million tons of oil burned up each
day. Furthermore, this only accounts for 40 percent of the energy consumed each individual day!
Coal and natural gas make up about 35 percent, and less than 15 percent of the world’s energy
comes from renewable sources. Consequently, 40 billion tons of carbon dioxide are emitted into
the atmosphere each year (Epstein).
Burning all of these fossil fuels, regrettably, comes with consequences. Our planet has
already seen an increase of two degrees Fahrenheit from carbon dioxide emissions. As the
average temperature rises, glacial ice melts and raises the sea level. If we continue to release
enormous amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, the rising sea level could devastate a number
of cities and nations. According to Robert J. Nicholls, a coastal engineer at Southampton
University, rising sea levels from global warming will force an estimate of 187 million people to
relocate their homes to a different …show more content…
This speculation is becoming more true every
day. Based on recent studies, there is enough oil remaining in the earth to last the world twenty-
five more years. This means by 2040, we will no longer be able to drive our gas-burning cars,
drink out of plastic bottles, or use certain kinds of makeup. Even our food industry will be
affected without its many oil-related preservatives and coloring chemicals. If nothing changes
soon, our future doesn’t look very bright (Epstein).
Now that we’ve identified the issues with our natural resource use, we can examine the
errors of our world’s natural resource policies. The world should have policies to protect our
planet from dangers like global warming, and it does. Unfortunately, these policies aren’t doing
their job. They don’t have enough limitations for the production and consumption of natural
resources. While they do set targets for emissions for individual countries, there are loopholes
that are widely abused.
One such loophole states that the burning of trees doesn’t give off any carbon
have a bright future, without poverty or war? As of now, the opposite is coming true. By the end
of the century, most of our forests will disappear, poverty will become even more common, and
countries will be fighting for the last drop of oil.
This future, however, can be avoided. By reducing emissions on our world’s natural
resources, we can change our planet’s fate. This is why the world needs to have stricter policies
on using natural resources. To better understand this, we will first identify the issues with the
world’s consumption of resources, then examine the errors in our world’s natural resource
policies, and finally sample a solution …show more content…
As noted in the book, The
Moral Case for Fossil Fuels by Alex Epstein, 87 percent of energy used by humans today is
from fossil fuels alone. That’s 94 million barrels, or over 675 million tons of oil burned up each
day. Furthermore, this only accounts for 40 percent of the energy consumed each individual day!
Coal and natural gas make up about 35 percent, and less than 15 percent of the world’s energy
comes from renewable sources. Consequently, 40 billion tons of carbon dioxide are emitted into
the atmosphere each year (Epstein).
Burning all of these fossil fuels, regrettably, comes with consequences. Our planet has
already seen an increase of two degrees Fahrenheit from carbon dioxide emissions. As the
average temperature rises, glacial ice melts and raises the sea level. If we continue to release
enormous amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, the rising sea level could devastate a number
of cities and nations. According to Robert J. Nicholls, a coastal engineer at Southampton
University, rising sea levels from global warming will force an estimate of 187 million people to
relocate their homes to a different …show more content…
This speculation is becoming more true every
day. Based on recent studies, there is enough oil remaining in the earth to last the world twenty-
five more years. This means by 2040, we will no longer be able to drive our gas-burning cars,
drink out of plastic bottles, or use certain kinds of makeup. Even our food industry will be
affected without its many oil-related preservatives and coloring chemicals. If nothing changes
soon, our future doesn’t look very bright (Epstein).
Now that we’ve identified the issues with our natural resource use, we can examine the
errors of our world’s natural resource policies. The world should have policies to protect our
planet from dangers like global warming, and it does. Unfortunately, these policies aren’t doing
their job. They don’t have enough limitations for the production and consumption of natural
resources. While they do set targets for emissions for individual countries, there are loopholes
that are widely abused.
One such loophole states that the burning of trees doesn’t give off any carbon