Fossil Fuels and their Negative Impacts
Fossil fuels, especially coal, were the primary source of energy in the industrial revolution. Their usage continues to date with petroleum and natural gas as the main fuels for heating, agriculture, transport, and manufacturing. Currently, all material aspects of life depend on fossil fuels. There are negative impacts at every point of the fossil fuel supply chain. The extraction process generates water and air pollution and harms the local communities. The transport process may cause air pollution and at times, experiences severe accidents and spills. The burning of these fuels results in the emission of toxins and finally, the waste products are hazardous to public health and the environment. To understand these impacts, it is critical to evaluate the social, economic, and political implications of the dependence on fossil fuels.
Political Implications
Analysts have pointed out that petroleum is a major driving factor to global policy and geopolitical conflicts. Since the 1980s, global consumption of petroleum has outpaced its discovery and production (Sorrell et. al., 2010). Currently, two-thirds of oil-producing countries have reported a decline in production. As scarcity increases, many countries want to control the remaining reserves. For instance, the Middle East holds the largest worlds remaining oil reserves. The Middle East experiences geopolitical tension, which is not subsiding any time soon as long as the USA tries to sway countries or control supplies to other nations. Furthermore, the US highly relies on countries that are politically unstable or hostile towards her for oil imports. For example, Venezuela, which has repeatedly threatened to seize exports to the US.
Social Implications
The production and use of fossil fuels also impose social costs. Fossil fuels cause air and water pollution, which further cause early mortality, illness, health care costs, and decreased productivity. According to the Global Burden of Disease, approximately three million people died in 2010 due to atmospheric pollution and another half a million due to household emissions (Brauer et. al., 2012). The world has seen an increase in cases of diseases such as cancer, heart, and kidney diseases due to air and water pollution. Children have also suffered from respiratory problems, birth defects, decreased IQ, and large amounts of heavy metals in the bloodstream. Some governments have also favored mining companies over local communities, where local communities are relocated to pave the way for mining exercises. This process further creates a social divide among the affected community.
Economic Implications
Dependence on fossil fuels is related to problems of economic sustainability. The exploration of these fuels, particularly in the modern transportation methods, is a crucial factor in the emergence of the current highly centralized and global economy. Fossil fuels have enabled the transportation of goods between distant regions over the course of extraction to consumption. Research indicates that an economic system, which is fossil-fuel-dependent, is highly vulnerable and unsustainable since it is not renewable. The current centralized economy has stripped local communities of their capacity to manufacture, produce food for local consumption, and other aspects of their economies.
The US spends about $700 billion each year on coal, oil, and natural gases. If this energy path continues, the expenditure is likely to grow to approximately $23 trillion by the year 2030. The burning of fossil fuel is the major contributor to global warming, which in turn leads to severe economic damage. If the sea level rises and the severity of storms increase, cities such as New York, New Orleans, and Miami are at a high risk of costly storm damage. Global crops have also experienced significant losses since the 1980s. A study in 2007 revealed that global wheat growers lost about $2.6 billion in 2002 (Lobell et. al. 2011).
Conclusion
The world highly depends on fossil fuels in almost all aspects of its operation. The production of these fuels continues to be in jeopardy. Increased use of fossil fuels will lead to severe social, economic, and political problems. It is imperative that the world revitalize local communities and reduce fossil-fuel usage.
References
Brauer, M., Amann, M., Burnett, R.T., Cohen, A., Dentener, F., Ezzati, M., Henderson, S.B., Krzyzanowski, M., Martin, R.V., Van Dingenen, R. and Van Donkelaar, A., 2012. Exposure assessment for estimation of the global burden of disease attributable to outdoor air pollution. Environmental science " technology, 46(2), pp.652-660.
Lobell, D.B., Schlenker, W. and Costa-Roberts, J., 2011. Climate trends and global crop production since 1980. Science, 333(6042), pp.616-620.
Sorrell, S., Speirs, J., Bentley, R., Brandt, A. and Miller, R., 2010. Global oil depletion: A review of the evidence. Energy Policy, 38(9), pp.5290-5295.
