Many of the benefits we derive from our way of life, and our high standard of living are due to fossil fuel use, and the existing energy system in the U.S. and in the world today is largely based on combustion of fossil fuels – petroleum, natural gas, and coal. But most modern societies were developed upon, and are dependent on, the assumption that using fossil fuels for energy is economical and that their supply is inexhaustible. Few people are aware of the true costs associated with overuse of fossil fuels. For instance, air pollution that reduces the chances of species survival is difficult to associate with flipping on a light switch, running an air-conditioner, or driving a car.

        To put things in perspective let’s think carefully about turning on a light switch. We all are familiar with what happens next. The light comes on and that’s it. But this definitely causes things to happen. When we turn on the light, the current that flows though the light bulb comes from a power plant somewhere. This power plant most probably burns coal. The heat from the coal burning boils water to produce steam which runs a turbine. The turbine turns a generator to produce electricity. Burning of the fossil fuel to produce electricity causes emission of various pollutants without considering that the power plant converts into electricity only about one third of the heat from the fuel that it burns, which is largely due to thermodynamics limitations of energy converter operations dictated by the maximum efficiency of Carnot cycle (see Laws of Thermodynamics). The rest of the heat goes somewhere else to dry our lakes, rivers, etc. This should make us think twice before turning that light switch.

        A compounding reality is that generating energy by burning fossil fuels is a major source of atmospheric contamination responsible for global warming and climate changes, acid rain, and smog. The resulting impact corresponds to a very long list, but the combined effect is the inability to sustain life. This seems to be a sufficient reason not to use fossil fuels as a source of energy. But to make things even worse, in most populated parts of the world, energy from fossil fuels is consumed at an enormous rate to the point that the additional entropy can’t be counteract by the sources of negative entropy, like the sun. 

        Many strategies have been proposed for a sustainable development, including energy awareness, energy conservation, and energy efficiency with the use of primary renewable energy sources. Energy efficiency technologies are going to play an important role in our energy future. While improving energy efficiency can slow somewhat the growth of energy use and carbon emissions, it will not reverse the trend in many developing countries towards using increasing amounts of energy to support economic growth. To decrease dramatically the energy requirements of economic development would require fundamental changes in the way societies develop. We should consider seriously the development and adoption of energy conservation technologies and find the way to stimulate a responsible energy consumption to reduce the growth in energy consumption to zero – or even begin to consume less. The energy conservation strategy should also seek to reduce the consumption of scare carbon-based energy resources. Unfortunately, energy conservation is painted as a return to the Stone Age.