So you had a conversation with someone who made a sweeping statement that the generations of the past are the culprits of today's situation with fossil fuel. Here are some counterarguments to consider to take the discussion to a higher and intellectually richer level.
Past generations..
- Only had fossil fuel available for people transport and there were no “green” alternatives for long distance travel that was fast enough. People and material had to travel longer distances as part of industrialization.
- Needed to travel for work that was increasingly further away from the place of residence (home), where industries (factories) and work places (offices) were located. Industrialization brought on a change in the cityscape and production would often take place further away from the homestead.
- Industrialization (= higher production output) required automation of work processes. Therefore, the transfer of material and products across countries and continents was part of the logistical reality for the production chain (going from raw material, to parts, to completed product).
- The development of technology goes hand in hand with the development of innovations in mechanical engineering. In particular, the conversion of energy to kinetic energy and in the end, “produced work” by machines was many times more efficient than manual labor. Those machines needed energy, and for a long time coal and oil were the energy sources available. Yet, people were needed to operate the machinery, and the shift to industrial companies (factories) provided the work.
- Luddites tried to stop technological innovation by forbidding technical innovations. Try to stop technical innovation that has a clear need in present society, and backward thinkers will always lose to the societal needs. Also, see (1).
