By capping production, ending subsidies, and investing in renewable energy, we can transition from an economy built on burning the past to one that sustains the present and future.

Burning ancient carbon was great while it lasted. We got steam engines, road trips, plastic flamingos, and an economy addicted to cheap energy. But the bill has arrived, and it’s itemized. Rising seas, raging wildfires, blistering heatwaves, and storms with names that sound increasingly less friendly.

The solution isn’t complicated: stop digging up and burning the stuff that’s cooking the planet. Simple, right? Except for the small detail that the global economy is structured like a pyramid scheme with fossil fuels at the base. Oil companies act like quitting is impossible, clutching their drilling rigs like security blankets, while politicians deliver speeches about “balancing economic growth with environmental stewardship”—which is code for “we’ll get to it after the next election cycle.”

But we don’t need more fossil fuels. The reserves already tapped are more than enough to push us past climate tipping points. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), no new oil, gas, or coal projects are compatible with keeping global warming below 1.5°C. That’s not Greenpeace talking; that’s the IEA—the same folks who used to love oil. Yet, the fossil fuel industry argues that we need continued extraction for “energy security,” as if the sun and wind are part of some underground cartel.

Governments spend over $5 trillion annually subsidizing fossil fuels, according to the International Monetary Fund. That’s $5 trillion to accelerate climate chaos, widen inequality, and make billionaires out of people who knowingly set the world on fire.

The fossil fuel lobby will tell you that limiting extraction will destroy jobs. They’re half right—it’ll destroy their jobs. But renewable energy creates more jobs per dollar invested. Solar and wind industries already employ millions globally.

Some countries are already shifting gears. Costa Rica generates nearly all its electricity from renewables. Denmark plans to end all new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea by 2050. New Zealand banned offshore oil and gas exploration in 2018.

Fossil fuel companies aren’t quietly packing up their rigs. They’ve rebranded themselves as “energy companies,” dabbling in renewables while still extracting oil. There’s also the greenwashing—companies slapping solar panels on corporate headquarters while expanding oil production. And we fall for it because, let’s face it, denial is comforting. “Maybe the planet isn’t that bad if Shell has a sustainability report.” But the math doesn’t care about PR. Climate change is indifferent to rhetoric and investor presentations. It responds to emissions, which come from fossil fuels. Stop extracting them, and emissions drop. It’s physics, not politics.

Capping fossil fuel production is also an economic one. Oil and gas are volatile markets prone to price crashes, geopolitical manipulation, and the occasional oil tanker getting stuck in the Suez Canal. Renewables don’t get stuck. The sun rises on schedule.

Limiting extraction also reduces pollution-related deaths—yes, deaths. Air pollution from burning fossil fuels causes over 8 million premature deaths annually, according to Harvard University research.

Limiting extraction is a basic act of intergenerational decency. Climate change disproportionately affects those who contributed the least to it—small island nations facing rising seas, Indigenous communities fighting pipeline projects, and future generations who’ll inherit a planet with more extreme weather events than a bad sci-fi movie.

Transitioning away from fossil fuels is about managing a phase-out. That means halting new projects, winding down existing operations, and investing in clean energy infrastructure. It means supporting workers with retraining programs and economic diversification, so they’re not left behind when oil rigs become relics.

Policy plays a crucial role. Fossil fuel bans, moratoriums on new drilling, carbon pricing, and divestment from fossil fuel companies are all needed. France has banned fracking; Belize banned offshore oil drilling to protect its barrier reef. These aren’t radical moves—they’re common sense.

The legal system is catching up, too. Climate litigation is rising, with lawsuits holding governments and corporations accountable for climate damage. A Netherlands court ordered Shell to cut its emissions by 45% by 2030, setting a legal precedent that corporate greenwashing doesn’t hold up in court.

Finance is shifting. Major investment firms are divesting from fossil fuels, not out of altruism but because they see the writing on the wall. Fossil fuel assets risk becoming “stranded,” worth less than the paper their stock certificates are printed on. Green energy, by contrast, offers growth without the baggage of environmental collapse.

Technology is on our side. Renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuels in most parts of the world. Battery storage, smart grids, and energy efficiency technologies make a fossil-free future not just possible, but economically preferable. We’re not waiting for a breakthrough—we’ve already got what’s need.

Public pressure matters. Movements like Fridays for Future, Extinction Rebellion, and divestment campaigns have shifted the narrative from climate change as a distant threat to an immediate crisis.
Activism works because it forces uncomfortable truths into public spaces where comfort has long been prioritized over reality.

Limiting fossil fuel extraction is about honesty. We know what’s causing the problem. We have the solutions. What’s missing is the political will to confront the industries that profits from delay.

Therefore, under Folklaw:

The extraction of fossil fuels shall be rapidly phased out to mitigate climate change, protect ecosystems, and promote sustainable development. No new licenses for oil, gas, or coal exploration will be issued. Existing extraction operations will be scaled down with clear timelines for closure.

Fossil fuel subsidies will be eliminated, and funds redirected to renewable energy, energy efficiency, and just transition programs for affected workers and communities.

Legal frameworks will hold corporations accountable for environmental damage, and public investment will prioritize clean energy infrastructure. International cooperation will enforce agreements to limit fossil fuel production, enabling a global transition to a carbon-free future.