| Summary: | The article discusses the global energy crises and critiques various alternatives to the use of fossil fuels. Most scientists believe that recent global warming is largely the result of human energy consumption, which releases carbon dioxide, a powerful greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. Massive, almost inconceivable amounts of energy are used to do everything these days, from builbing airplanes to running sewer systems and hospital eguipment. energy is the essence of modern civilization, and as societies and economies grow, so does their energy consumption. In the United States and most other developed countries, 85 percent of this energy comes from fossil fuels (mainly coal, oil, and natural gas). In developing countries, wood, charcoal, straw, and cow dung still meet a large portion of heating and cooking needs, but the shift to foccil fuels is happening fast. Global energy consumption is growing at roughly two percent per year and is projected to double by 2035 and triple by 2055.
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