All this being said, the generations of people born after us will have to bear the consequences of decisions we make now about energy. How do you feel about this? Since one can never e sure of what the future holds, should we just enjoy the moment and not worry about what we leave behind?
The Earth does not belong to any one of us, but rather to all of us. The ways that rich countries have used fossil fuels to generate energy is damaging the environment of those who have NOT acted this way. How can we continue to generate energy, but without damaging the planet or hurting other people?
Think about how different countries would be affected differently based upon their social and economic situations. A few of the industrialized countries use far more energy than the less industrialized ones. Is this just? Since we here in the U.S., for example, use way more than anyone else, do we "owe" the world anything and should we thus bear more of the cost and responsibility of coming up with alternative energy sources?
An important way to conserve energy supplies may well be for rich countries to share new technologies with other, less well off countries, but will they? How can we help make this happen (or should we)?