The transition to greener energies promoted by environmental scientists is a complicated process. This measure seems feasible from the point of view of ecological needs. However, governments’ orientation on benefits provided by fossil fuels does not contribute to the development of new measures. The world is not ready for a drastic change since it means additional expenses and its dubious capability to address people’s needs. Therefore, fossil fuels should be combined with eco-friendly methods of receiving energy because a rapid shift to the use of renewable sources is impossible due to their lower efficiency.
The first circumstance, the countries’ inability to introduce the sources of renewable energy, is connected to their dependence on old methods. They cannot make a change since it implies significant costs and a lack of guarantees. For example, the failure to heat their citizens’ houses will indicate the emergence of a threat to their health. Richards (2016) states that this solution is inapplicable to the most populated countries, such as India, and his ideas contradict the conclusion of Mings (2019), claiming the benefits of wind and solar power for everyone. Considering this difference in views, it is reasonable to make a decision satisfying all people, which is the mix of energy types. Since the shares of fossil fuels compared to renewable energy sources increase faster, they should be combined (Handayani et al., 2019). In this way, all countries, regardless of their position, will benefit from them.
The second obstacle to the change is the insufficient effectiveness of processes relying solely on renewable energy sources. In this case, their use in combination with fossil fuels seems a better option. For instance, Germany’s initiative on building wind turbines with hydroelectric batteries, similar projects in Yorkshire, and creating a solar wind energy downdraft tower will be performed faster when using all available types of energy (Coren, 2016; Ambrose, 2019; Quick, 2014). This approach is beneficial not only for the specified short-term goals but also for the global shift from fossil fuels to other sources of energy in the long run. In this way, environmental programs will be conducted based on the existing practices, and it will help avoid additional expenses while examining their suitability for various locations. This method will also promote the slowly increasing indicators for hydro, geothermal, and solar energy (Handayani et al., 2019). Thus, all countries will have an opportunity to participate in the process, which will not be limited by less populated areas.
In conclusion, the combination of fossil fuels and renewable energy is beneficial for increasing efficiency, developing eco-friendly practices, and making a gradual shift. This option’s feasibility is explained by the inapplicability of solar and wind energy to the needs of all countries due to uneven paces of their progress and the lack of cooperation between the scientists. Therefore, governments and international organizations should work together to eliminate environmental risks by adjusting their inventions to different countries’ conditions. This method will help overcome the obstacles to the introduction of eco-friendly solutions for all participants.
References
Ambrose, J. (2019). World’s largest wind turbines to be built off the Yorkshire coast. The Guardian.
Coren, M. J. (2016). Germany is building the world’s first wind turbines with built-in hydroelectric batteries. Quartz.
Handayani, K., Krozer, Y., & Filatova, T. (2019). From fossil fuels to renewables: An analysis of long-term scenarios considering technological learning. Energy Policy, 127, 134-146.
Mings, S. (2019) Improved efficiency and lower cost of wind and solar could spell the end for fossil fuels. Energy Influences.
Quick, D. (2014). Solar wind energy’s downdraft tower generates its own wind all year round. New Atlas.
Richards, T. (2016). Have we seen the end of fossil fuels?. The New York Times. Web.
Siegel, R. (2013). Methane hydrates: Energy solution or worst thing yet? Triple Pundit.