Let's Switch
| Centralized Fossil System | Decentralized Renewable System | |
| 1. efficiency | Traditional energy systems extract oil, coal, and gas from the earth and transport them over long distances for refining and delivery to consumers. Along the way, up to two-thirds of the potential energy is lost. | Renewable energy can be produced right where it’s used, so almost nothing is wasted. |
| 2. security | Our supplies of oil, coal, and uranium are diminishing and becoming increasingly expensive. This limited supply and the world’s growing demand for energy cause conflicts and wars. | Currently, accessible renewable resources can deliver six times more energy than all the people on this planet use every day. |
| 3. investment | For 100 years, the fossil-fuel industry has been heavily subsidized by governments around the world. To continue this financial support means wasting tax money on doomed technology. | Governments should support future technology that has the capacity to solve energy problems with clean, affordable energy for everyone. |
| 4. ecology | Producing electricity from fossil fuels releases climate-heating CO2 waste - either into the atmosphere or into the ground for storage. | Most renewable-energy fuels produce no emissions. The quicker we switch, the quicker we can stabilize our climate and prevent catastrophes. |
| 5. independence | The centralized control of energy by a few leaves us all vulnerable to accidents and political power plays - over two billion people still have no electricity at all. | Renewable-energy technology produces energy in diverse, small-scale ways, allowing energy independence for everyone, everywhere. |
| 6. cost | Extracting and processing fossil fuels will become more expensive as their supply diminishes. Also, the process wastes water, a critically valuable resource. | Renewable-energy fuels are free. The sun and wind do not increase their price, and technology will become cheaper as the market grows. And our valuable water supplies are left to meet other needs. |
| 7. economic growth |
Rising fossil-fuel prices slow economic growth and benefit only the countries and industries that produce and supply energy. | Renewable energy provides stable fuel prices while creating a large number of high-skilled jobs in many sectors. The benefits are spread throughout society. |
