Drilling for oil and gas around the world is a source of significant income but, at the same time, it is placing increasing pressure upon the global environment. There is a race for seeking these resources in remote and previously untouched areas such as Alaska and Antarctica. However, I firmly believe that the cons of tapping these resources outweigh the pros. A number of arguments surround my opinion.

It is irrefutable that fossil fuels helped to drive the industrial revolution and increase our luxuries, their extraction has caused a terrible impact on the environment and continues to damage this planet. The main problem with the extraction of fossil fuels is that the transportation of these fuels can be very expensive. A lot of infrastructure is required with pipelines and shipping routes stretching thousands of kilometers.

Furthermore, sometimes accidents can occur when these materials are taken overseas. These accidents are not only expensive to the human pocket but also harm the environment in an immeasurable way. An example of this is the spill which took place in 1989 in Alaska. This was the largest spill in the history of the United States. About 2,800 sea otters and 250,000 seabirds were killed by the spill. Harbor seals, bald eagles, killer whales, and salmon were also greatly affected.

The final problem would be the greenhouse effect. The extraction and use of fossil fuels are causing global warming. This is because when we use fossil fuels, it causes carbon dioxide, water vapor, ozone, nitrous oxide, halocarbon gases, and methane to collect in the upper layers of the atmosphere which causes the greenhouse effect. We have to use alternative sources of energy which are non-polluting otherwise the whole Earth will very soon transform into a boiling pot.

To conclude, there is no doubt that fossil fuels are a very important resource in these times and because of them, we have many luxuries such as cars, heating, electricity, running water, and many more. But we cannot forget that our biggest luxury is our planet and it is being damaged by the excessive extraction and use of these fuels. This is why people around the world should support the use of renewable resources. By doing this, we will not only have a chance to restore the environment but can also still have a comfortable and much healthier way of life.