"It is unrealistic to expect individual nations to make, independently, the sacrifices necessary to conserve energy. International leadership and worldwide cooperation are essential if we expect to protect the world's energy resources for future generations."


Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.


My essay:

I agree with the opinion that it is unrealistic to expect individual nations to make the sacrifices to conserve energy. International leadership and worldwide cooperation is essential to protect the world's energy resources for future generation.


Protection of world's energy resources is a global concern and can't be dealt locally. As per a survey conducted worldwide, a developed country has 5% of the world's population but uses 27% of the world's resources. The reason could be the lifestyle of its citizens, but that is not what we are concerned here, they are using, rather wasting would be a more appropriate word here, the resources more than they should actually use. It should be understood what is necessity for them could be privilege for their future generations and people living in other countries. For example, I've made it a habit to check the power switches when I leave home, turn off the unnecessary electrical appliances, shut down my computer before leaving the desk.


Efforts are made to save the resources that we enjoy today for the future generations and to save the environment. Talks have already started to implement the concept of Carbon trading, under which each country will have its share of carbon emission that it can do with. Depending on a country's needs it can buy the emission levels from another country which is running low on emission.


We should take responsibility for our actions, but even that won't be enough on this cause as not only being responsible will be sufficient. If we just accept that we misusing our energy resources and doesn't take steps to not do so it will defeat the purpose. Organizations such as Green Peace are working towards energy conservation. Even using an energy saving CFL instead of a tungsten bulb would help. The efforts, no matter how little or big, are helpful to conserve the limited energy resources that we have today for the future generations to enjoy.


We should take action before it is too late to do so. The time is running and with it we are running out of the energy resources. Worldwide cooperation and understanding it is mandatory if we really expect to save the world's energy sources for the future generations or there might be a time when the energy resources that we use liberally today will be history.