- Question
Should we phase out fossil fuels?
Fossil fuels are used to generate power in various facilities, providing energy for our homes, appliances, and devices. This energy has become critical to our daily lives, in turn making the use of fossil fuels essential. Despite this, debates have sprouted forth, contesting the use of fossil fuels to generate power. The questions posed by these debates are: Should the use of fossil fuels be discontinued due to their effects on climate? Or should we continue to use them for fear of economic setbacks?
Yes, we should phase out fossil fuels
This position holds that we should phase out fossil fuels. It argues that burning them drives global climate change, directly harms human health through pollution, and perpetuates environmental racism — concentrating the damage on the most vulnerable communities.
No, we should not phase out fossil fuels
This position holds that we should not phase out fossil fuels. It argues that they remain too important to abandon, that replacing them would be prohibitively costly and slow, and that phasing them out would do serious damage to the job market and the wider economy.