Fossil Fuels – Enjoy responsibly

Are we really responsible for climate change?

Burning fossil fuels is bad for the environment; the CO2 emitted by the burning of fossil fuels is definitely the main cause of accelerated climate change. This global warming is causing sea-levels to rise and is giving the planet a new and less predictable climate. You can question these statements if you want, but given the consequences of ignoring the problem it might be wise to be a bit more cautious in our approach. If the worry is unnecessary well....good, I’m sure the people who live in the Maldives will be very pleased! But if the problem is real, then we need to make changes now to the way we live if we want to avoid an environmental catastrophe.

Carbon dioxide is not the most damaging gas to the ozone layer, Nitrous Oxide has the greatest potential to contribute to global warming; it’s just that we produce so much CO2 and can reduce that amount quite simply. The main way that most people can reduce the amount of CO2 is to stop using their cars, but a more practical solution is needed to get back to more natural, beneficial climate change. But we do need to reduce car use however, and think more about when we do and don’t use cars. We need to consider where we might use alternatives when it is practical, perhaps using public transport. You could even walk or cycle on very short journeys and get some exercise!

What about an electric bus, like this one?

The changes that I have talked about here all should happen soon, and governments and society as a whole can encourage these changes. Today public transport is thought of as inconvenient, expensive, unreliable and slow. For this to change I think the governments will need to act first and provide the viable alternative to private transport that more people will need if more are to consider public transport. This will mean investment in the quality of public transport, particularly in rural areas and between urban centres. We need regular, reliable and affordable services. Governments may need to provide incentives for these services to operate at a loss for some time.

More high speed trains, like this one, would improve the image of public transport.

The question of how long will be answered by the users of these services. Once the service required is in place it will not last unless it is used on a regular basis. Many cities have a reasonable public transport system because they are long established in areas where traffic congestion means many do not use cars in that area. These get enough service for them to be considered viable are an example of what we need from public transport. A regular service allows people to incorporate the service into their routine, but these services also need to be reliable. Attitudes to public transport to allow it to become socially preferred, people are more likely use the service more if it is recommended.

Making these may be difficult and met with resistance, but this shift in attitude is something we must to do alleviate climate change. Cars are now more efficient than ever, and alternative fuels are being developed, but we can’t be over-reliant on technology. We need to act now to reduce the CO2 that we produce, and right now the best way we can do this is to decrease fossil fuel use. The problem of climate change is perhaps the most serious that we face today, and we must all take responsibility for our own use, we should not wait for others to act first.