Time is Running Out

This article by Homer-Dixon discusses the increasing anticipations of depleting energy sources. He draws on the possibility of mining in alternative areas like those in China that have no yet been explored for such purposes, and while this could be positive for our energy supply, it would be seriously detrimental to China's environment. There's also the issue of uneven energy inputs for the energy output that comes from drilling in different given areas. This problem threatens the economic growth that we have prided ourselves over for the past few decades. However, I think that maybe a short pause in industrialization and economic innovation wouldn't hurt.

The list of environmental harm that comes from coal, petroleum, and other mining is extensible. First of all, mining can have adverse effect on surrounded surface ground water, which can result in overly high concentrations of arsenic, sulfuric acid, or mercury. The runoff from these sinks contaminates surrounding vegetation and farm lands. One solution for this that should be more widely performed is the refillings of the mind aft it has been blasted through, in order to reduce water leakage and chemical contamination. Federal laws enforce this practice, but I think it must be better regulated and supervised to ensure the mining companies do it efficiently. Second, mountain-top removal, most commonly associated with coal mining in the Appalachians, has undoubtedly contributed to loss of biodiversity that mitigation practices cannot successfully address. Environmental scientists have proved that the action of blasting through the mountain tops expels large particles of dust and fly-rock into the air, which may contain sulfur compounds--a serious threat to human health.

These practices need to be better regulated, or perhaps slowed down.What Homer-Dixon fails to address in his article is the new technological advances for alternative energy sources. He only discusses the increasing deterioration of our current energy sources, but we all know those aren't renewable and are running out. What the world needs most now is a new beginning, a fresh start with sustainable innovations that we have the technology to produce.