Do we really need fossil fuels?

Here's what our energy use looks like. We use coal, gas, nuclear and renewables to generate power, and oil to fuel transport. That's pretty much it, right?

Fossil fuels have a serious impact on global emissions. Coal, gas and oil have been polluting our atmosphere for long enough, so let's switch to renewables for all our power generation and switch to electric vehicles for transport. Here we go, emissions problems solved.

Though I guess we actually need gas for our heating and industrial uses. And the agricultural sector needs oil, so that can stay too. But coal, you've got to go.

Wait a minute, though. It seems we've left out a fair bit. A huge chunk actually. See, the products we know and love have a number of industrial processes and chemicals involved in the production. These processes use coal and gas for things other than power generation. We also use coal and gas for transport fuels. We can stop using fossil fuels when we stop using their products. Until then, this is what it looks like.

It seems that nuclear power is the only thing that has a single function, but we can't get rid of this low-emission, safe and firm power generation technology if we're ever to meet Paris targets.

I know I keep at it with the same message, but we actually need it all. If we get rid of coal in the power mix, we will still use it in other industries. The same is said for oil and gas. Let's not forget the fact that oil is a key ingredient in a number of products, such as plastic, cosmetics, roads, lubricants, pesticides... the list goes on. We can start coming up with alternatives, but the scale of use is beyond comprehension.

So how do we meet the Paris targets? Considering the 2050 targets are net zero for many countries, including Australia, we need to start now.