Time For A Change :: Essays Papers

Time For A Change The more that I learn about fossil fuels and their effect on the environment, the more surprised I become about the state of the world we live in. It seems that we live in a time that demands instant gratification. The problem with instant gratification is that the repercussions are seldom thought about. While millions of people think nothing of driving their cars for hours a day, the effects of decades of this behavior are already manifesting themselves around the world. This is particularly true in the United States, where mass consumption of fossil fuels are propagating serious environmental hazards. Perhaps the problem that strikes me as most frightening is the problem of acid rain. The nitrogens and sulfides in fossil fuels that we burn are wrecking serious havoc on the air we breathe. It is horrifying for me to think of rain falling that contains extremely corrosive and damaging factors. If this rain has the ability to corrode buildings, monuments and stat ues, I can only imagine how its long term effects must damage organic matter (Acid Rain, March 2005). It is also difficult to predict the future of this state. Will the problem intensify with time or will the recent slew of clear air acts and proposals have a palpable effect on the air we breathe? Have we passed the point of irreversibility or can we ameliorate the problems that have building over the last decades in the golden age of fossil fuels? Despite the looming problems at hand, I can’t help but feel optimistic about the situation. Technology has gotten us into this problem, and it could very well get us out of it. One breakthrough in technology could easily reduce the incidence of pollution in the long run. With the emergence and surprising popularity of hybrid cars (Hybrid Cars, March 2005) and all the research into alternative fuels such as hydrogen, it seems that the only thing missing is the technology itself. The market is clearly there. Hybrid cars have sold an astounding already. Also, considering the unprecedented exponential rate of technological advance in the past 100 years, it seems almost inevitable that a breakthrough is just around the corner.