Natural fossil fuels are a finite resource used to power our economies and daily lives. The foundation of the modern world has build itself around the use of fossil fuels. Currently, the US recieves 81% of its total energy from oil, coal, and natural gas (The Natural Academies). The graph shows the increasing trend of dependence in fossil fuels as our source of energy, as projections of the use of petroleum and natural gas shows an increasing trend. However, there is a simultaneous projection in the increase of renewable energy sources (Hidy). Unfortunately, the world needs to step up renewable energy production and capacity to meet the demands of the future. According to International Energy Agency's Executive Director Fatih Birol, “Between now & 2030, we need to double energy efficiency progress & triple renewable capacity. These are the pillars of the clean energy transition.”

The current capitalist model of the world encourages companies to cut costs to maximize profit. Even with health and environmental laws and regulations by the UN and the US government, many companies have been found to have cut corners, at the expense of the environment. On April 20, 2010, off the coast of the US in the Gulf of Mexico, the Deepwater Horizon, an offshore oil rig owned by BP, had a massive oil leak that resulted in approximately 210 million US gallons of oil being lost. This oil spill caused an environmental disaster that deeply affected nearby species, such as in dolphins, as 88% of baby or stillborn dolphins were born with abnormal or underdeveloped lungs, compared to a 15% average (The Sun News).