The United Nations released a report stating our brief window to secure a livable future is closing, and in that same breath, Russia led its full-fledged invasion of Ukraine.
Russia has been the largest producer and exporter of natural gas, the third-largest oil producer, as well as the second-largest exporter, so their invasion of Ukraine is also an attack on global energy markets.
Americans at the pump are heavily feeling the economic consequences of the war, with gas prices reaching an all-time high of US $5+ a gallon.
If climate change has to make a compelling case about our extreme dependence on fossil fuels and how that puts our livelihood at risk, it's becoming more and more clear now.
This dependence provides Russia with more power and leverage in conflict, allowing fossil fuels to become a significantly more valuable pawn in their geopolitical war.
Ryan Briscoe Young, the Policy Director of Green for All, an initiative of Dream Corps, says, "Prolonging our transition towards clean energy was a mistake. However, we can learn from it and not allow an autocracy abroad to dictate our future decisions."
The best course of action is to take the current situation as a sign to discontinue our dependence and unsafe reliance on fossil fuels because the more energy innovative we are, the more energy secure we'll be in the future.
