argument top image

How fast should fossil fuels be phased out?
Back to question

Humankind should make a collective decision to immediately stop fossil fuel usage

There is growing evidence to support the harmful effects of fossil fuels on the environment and we are reaching the point of no return.

The Argument

Climate change has been steadily studied for many decades now, and despite the warnings from scientists, the world continues to use fossil fuels that increase carbon emissions, causing irreparable damage to the Earth’s environment. Carbon emissions are one of many factors contributing to climate change, but it is one that can be tackled quickly and safely. Several plans have been put forth by environmental organizations that propose quick and safe ways to transition from fossil fuel dependence to renewable energy sources. Those plans take into account a variety of economic situations, as not all countries have the same financial resources. There is no reason that the renewable energy market cannot become a new pillar of the world economy over fossil fuels, however painful that initial shift may be. Larger and more developed nations would make an enormous impact by making this transition quickly and setting the example for other countries to do the same for the collective benefit of humankind. [1][2]

Counter arguments

While aiming to eliminate fossil fuel use by 2030 is an admirable goal, it is not realistic. Not only would such a radical move completely up-end economies around the world, but it would also require a massive overhaul and retrofit of systems across every nation that have been made with fossil fuels in mind. This will take quite some time to do, as, despite the best intentions and goals for the future, not all countries have the financial resources to tear down and rebuild the infrastructure needed within one decade. [3][4]

Proponents

Premises

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/research/8-reasons-why-we-need-to-phase-out-the-fossil-fuel-industry/
  2. https://www.gp.org/green_new_deal
  3. https://www.thepavlovictoday.com/a-realistic-timeline-for-phasing-out-fossil-fuels/
  4. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29855884
This page was last edited on Wednesday, 4 Nov 2020 at 23:07 UTC