If you are forty, the population of this planet has doubled since you were born. And at the rate we are going, it will double again before you die.
Fossil fuels take millions of years to form, and minutes to consume.
Their extraction and conversion to usable energy has environmental impacts, some of which may become irreversible before supplies run out, and can cause social upheaval in sensitive regions. One solution to this problem may be a switch to locally-based, renewable energy sources, supplying local markets. As yet, none can compete effectively with the convenience, cost and efficiency of fossil fuels. Energy companies that continue to rely on fossil fuels will increasingly find themselves vulnerable on economic, environmental and social grounds, which is why some people believe that oil companies must invest seriously in the development of renewables. A substantial shift away from fossil fuels will certainly reduce many of the environmental risks involved in finding, transporting, processing and using oil, gas and power, although renewables are not totally free from environmental and social impacts.