Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s, huge amounts of fossil fuels have been burned to power the economy. Coal was the initial fuel source used to compensate for the lack of firewood and charcoal in some regions of the world. In the mid 19th century, with the discovery of petroleum products, kerosene was used for lighting and heating. Once drilling technology was development, oil wells led to mass-consumption of petroleum for powering new forms of transportation, for generating electricity, for heating and for hot water supplies. Economic growth and the use of fossil fuels have been increasing in synchronous steps from the beginning of our mass produced energy Era.

While the economic effects of burning fossil fuels have been extraordinary, the environmental effects are becoming more and more of an issue that can no longer be ignored: human health issues, destruction of land, environmental degradation, pollution, and global warming, to name a few.

A shift from fossil fuels to clean renewable energy is one major step that needs to be made if we wish to have a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.

Sources:

“Issue: Energy and Environmentmenal Issues.” Current Issues. Mitsubishi, n.d. Web. 13 May 2015. <https://www.mhi-global.com/discover/earth/issue/history/problem.html>.

“The Hidden Cost of Fossil Fuels.” Union of Concerned Scientists. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2015. <http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/coal-and-other-fossil-fuels/the-hidden-cost-of-fossil.html#.VVOkgKbdKMN>.