It is argued that renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, and wave energy cannot practically replace fossil fuels. However, I disagree with this notion since, if given necessary research and implementation effort, such sustainable energy resources do hold the promise to provide our energy needs and mitigate eminent environmental as well as economic threats.
Since depending on fossil fuels poses existential threats not only to our ecosystems but also to our own prosperity, greener energy sources ought to be supported. Greenhouse gases emitted from traditional energy sources are leading to global warming, which in turn is affecting weather patterns and natural habitats. Because our own existence is dependent on the environment, the deterioration of nature is not far from affecting humans who caused it in the first place. For example, increasing droughts and heat waves are reducing crop yields needed for both human and livestock consumption. Moreover, the melting of global glaciers is leading to rising sea levels, which are estimated to wipe out entire coastal cities. Altogether, these direct threats to human activities indicate a need for immediate action favoring the use of renewable energy.
Should the necessary funds and legislation be invested in eco-friendly energy sources, they can replace fossil fuels. Financing research into more efficient means of harnessing renewable energy sources can result in upgraded, less costly technology which can easily be adopted. Besides, developing ways of transporting electrical energy, such as under-sea cables, may create an integrated global energy system where one country with wave farms can import solar energy from another. That said, complex regulatory challenges might remain. To address them, mutually beneficial relationships between policymakers and international oil companies, whose interests will be jeopardized by a mass shift to environmentally-friendly energy sources, should be unraveled unthreaded by practical legal actions.
To conclude, the variability of sustainable sources which can be used for energy as well as the existing technological advancements to harness them support the promise of these alternatives to our co-existence with the environment. This, however, requires collective action on the research and implementation fronts.