The world’s drastically growing population as well as the emergence of new economic superpowers are putting a strain on our planets resources. In China, a country that is experiencing world leading economic growth, coal is being used up at a constantly increasing rate. This is causing speculation that, along with oil, the amount of relatively cheap coal available is steadily decreasing. In the last several decades, the new approach to cleaner and healthier methods to produce power resulted in substitutes such as nuclear power plants. However after the recent Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, many countries are withdrawing their plans for nuclear energy. At least temporarily this will lead to an increase in the consumption of natural resources.
The economic superpowers need to find a way to continue the growth of their GDP without the burning of fossil fuels. This raises the question of, is it ethical to do whatever it takes in order to further your countries economic power? Although it is much easier said than done to choose a cleaner method of producing energy, it is very necessary if the world wants to continue forward in a positive manner.