With the Ocean Climax Festival coming soon, we will propose you every week a set of articles about the themes tackled during the conferences. This first one is about fossil energies linked to global warming, the Paris Agreement and the Ocean. Enjoy !

Fossil energies, nasty and exhaustible energies

The term “fossil energy” refers to non-renewable energies (limited resources) produced from oil, coal or natural gas. The raw materials come from the organic matter transformation and are composed of carbon, so they are easy to carry and do not need storage (unprocessed product). This way, what we must especially keep in mind is our growing dependence on fossil energies while these are seriously running out.

Fossil energies and climate change

Beyond our dependence on those decreasing resources, they also have an impact on the climate, the environment and particularly on the Ocean – the second earth lung, but also a climate regulator, heat reservoir, oxygen supplier, and biodiversity shelter.

World pollution

It has been proved by several studies that fossil fuel exploitation (extraction, processing and transport) leads to an important quantity of greenhouse gases emission into the atmosphere – like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrogen, consequently playing a huge part in global warming. Our anthropogenic activities such as agriculture, transports and industry release 75% of CO2 against the total greenhouse gases emissions, which unbalances the natural phenomenon of this one.

The effect of these toxic gases is the increase of global temperature, which causes for example ice melting followed by the rise of the Ocean level. The associated consequences of these phenomena are many: Ocean acidification, biodiversity and food chain (food safety) being threatened, increase in natural disasters and climate refugees increase, emergence of new diseases, endangerment of the local resilience, etc.

And what about the Ocean ?

The Ocean is a “biologic pump” of carbon as it catches the atmospheric CO2 in surface waters and brings it gradually into depths which permits to regulate the temperature while minimizing the energy losses. Its storage capacity is effective for 25% of the carbon brought by human activity – which corresponds to about 10 billion tons. Thus, it seems essentiel to go without these nasty energies for the survival of the marine ecosystem, which is interdependent with ours.

Why is it necessary to step out of fossil energies ?

If we want to reach the objective set during the COP 21 (to restrict global warming to 2°C), if we want this agreement to be a success, we have to stop relying on the non-renewable energies.

The shortage of non-renewable energy resources as oil, which will lead to a price increase as well as their dramatic consequences as much for the environment as a whole than for the well-being of Humans (health, geopolitical stability, purchasing power, etc.). All of these reasons create an urgent need to diversify our energy sources. That is why the development of energies known as renewable is increasingly desirable and desired.

“How to compel a disinvestment in the oil industry? By changing our vision of the world. By escaping to the silly anthropocentric vision of economy.” Matthieu Auzanneau, independent journalist and author of l’Or Noir

We noted that fossil energies do not enable a desirable future since they are running out, pollute, and highly participate in global warming, but then why do we keep acting this way? The transition towards green energies still seems shy and uncertain. However, the Paris Agreement proves the importance and the shared enthusiasm to leave out fossil energies. In practice, several examples illustrate well and truly that the energy transition is underway. So we invite you next week for a definitely not to be missed article on renewable energies.

Laura Anty, Environmental Writer