Social
People may choose to travel to work using a different method of transport in an attempt to be environmentally friendly and fitter.
Where people go on holiday could be affected if air fares increasing substantially because of rising fuel costs. More people could choose to holiday at home which may benefit the home economy.
Problems:
Social
Increased energy use has an impact on people's health. For example, in Industrial areas where coals is the basic source of energy, there has been an increase in lung related diseases like emphysema and bronchitis. The incidence of these diseases will increase in areas that are experiencing industrialisation today. For example, the UK.
The droughts and floods caused by climate change can lead to famine, disease and homelessness, which can take years to recover.
Poor air quality from coal and smoke can lead to asthma and other respiratory diseases.
Environemental
Spoil heaps have built u adjacent to coal mines and when unneeded material has been dumped.
The transportation of oil has led to major pollution incidents such as the Exon Valdez oil spill off Alaska in 1989.
Some cities are shrouded by a haze that blocks out the sun and contains a dangerous mix of chemicals, including those from coal and smoke and ozone. E.g smog in Beijing.
Greater use of fossil fuels is increasing CO2 emissions and driving climate change. This is leading to changing weather patterns (e.g more floods, drought, hurricanes) as well as environmental changes.
Political
Some countries rely heavily on others for their energy supplies which can create problems if they fall out. For example, much of Europe depends on a gas pipeline from Russia than runs through Ukraine. But in both 2006 and 2008, the pipeline was turned off after disagreements between Russia and Ukraine.
In some countries like the USA, political parties are funded by oil and gas companies, which means that these countries can influence government polices.
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