We regularly hear adults complain about the ever growing price of petrol, gas and electricity. What I am more alarmed about, however, is the fact most people are not aware of the extent of trouble our planet is in, concerning our few diminishing natural resources, not to mention global warming.
Most people still believe global warming is a matter that doesn't concern them, something that won't affect them. The fact of the matter is global warming is something which is happening now, and won't just affect the current generation, but more so the next generation.
There is literally a countdown until our fossil fuels totally run out and carbon emissions are so heavy they can no longer be ignored. So what can be done to tackle this situation? What we need is an affordable energy source, which will tend to our needs, whilst still being easy on our environment.
Personally, I think nuclear energy, as well as low carbon substitutes, such as bio-fuels, are the way forward. A major concern with nuclear energy however, is the fact that highly toxic waste is produced once the energy is spent. Until there is a way of safely disposing the radioactive waste products nuclear energy should not really be considered.
Future development may ultimately lead to a clean nuclear power source, by means of fission, rather than fusion and I believe the idea of limitless, waste-free energy is definitely worth the wait. In terms of transport also, bio-fuels offer an attractive alternative.
It definitely is time to bite the bullet and make use of better alternatives. This is an issue, which will be left to our generation to clean up, but we must pressurise people now for change, so we don't end up with huge problems in the future.
About this story
This story was written by David Mcreynolds, 16, from our Foyle newsroom. It was published on the Reach for the Sky website.
