Fossil fuels In Australia

FOSSIL FUELS: CONSEQUENCES AND CHOICES

‘Fossil fuels will be all but consumed by the end of this century, leaving in its wake major climate, economic and social change as well as irrevocable damage to the environment’, (Backstrom, 2002). Hydrogen and fuel cells have the potential to solve several major challenges facing Australia today: dependence on petroleum imports, poor air quality, and greenhouse gas emissions. I am going to argue that Australia is currently failing to take the necessary steps to ensure clean, healthy and sustainable energy for the future. I will be discussing the detrimental impacts of fossil fuels on the environment, economic factors influencing renewable energy investment, and hydrogen as a renewable energy source in the future.

Australia is the second worst polluting nation per person in the world and its refusal, along with the US government’s refusal to ratify the Kyoto protocol has stalled the implementation of the treaty. The Kyoto pact, s...