Americans today are more and more dependent on fossil fuels. These fuels consist of oil, coal and natural petroleum. Coming from the fossilized remains of plants and animals, it would seem these sources of energy would never run out. However, with the entire world relying heavily on fossil fuels, they will one day be depleted.

The fact is it takes years and years for these energy sources to develop. With humans over consuming them, there is no chance they will last for years to come. In fact, there are fewer and fewer amounts of fossil fuels in the world today. Instead of venturing more toward renewable power sources like solar energy and wind energy, humans are trying to prolong the inevitable.

They are trying to find ways to stretch these non renewable energy sources as far as they can, to make them ultimately last longer. For example, auto makers are developing hybrid cars which use much less of these fossil fuels than the traditional auto. However, the rate of their use in even a hybrid car will not put a dent in the overall “big picture”.

The non renewable energy sources from fossil fuels are not only becoming depleted, but they are also harming the environment. Any type of combustion of the fuels results in pollutants being released into the environment. These atmospheric releases contribute to the “Greenhouse Effect” everyone worries about.

Yes, global warming is directly related to the use of non renewable fossil fuels. Scientists understand fossil fuels will not last forever, thus they are trying to find renewable energy sources to take their places in the world. While technology and discovery is somewhat limiting, the largest limitations for this are created by humans. Humans are not willing to make changes in their lifestyles to accommodate new or renewable energy sources, creating a difficult situation for the future.