Why I Have Little Hope on Environmental Issues

If people start turning to heating their homes through burning coal on a large scale, the environmental damage is going to be massive.

The problem is that I don't see much of an alternative for people. Americans want cheap fuel. They want to live a life of big consumption. If natural gas or electricity or fuel oil is too expensive, people are going to turn to the cheapest and easiest alternative, with absolutely no thought toward the environmental damage it may cause.

I sympathize with people on this issue--who doesn't want to heat their house at affordable costs? But I really believe that as resources become more scarce, it is not going to lead to people taking nature into account. Rather, there will be a rush to grab what is left and a move to mine every bit of coal, drill ever drop of oil, cut down every last tree, and kill every wild animal. It almost seems like human nature and I despair at what to do about it.

On the other hand, the Europeans seem much better at dealing with these problems than we do. Maybe there is hope across the pond.