All energy within our biosphere will ultimately depend on the amount of energy from the sun. Burning fossil fuel means that we are using energy accumulated from the past. Living in modern society, to simply criticize fossil fuel will not be the solution for anything, but we can sense how irregular it is from natural order.
Since there were no use of fossil fuels during the edo period, energy was either solar, wind, water or geothermal power. Using natural energy source means to live within the flow of natural energy. "Living within the flow" is a very Japanese concept, a base of life philosophy. See how the famous tale "Hojoki" starts, "River flows never stop, and never is the same water. The bubbles form and disappear, and nothing will stay forever." In this case the author is indicating how certain authority cannot prosper forever, but the same metaphor between human life and river flow can be seen in many literature and songs. "Tsureduregusa", a bestseller essay in the Edo period (written before in the Kamakura period) may be interesting to read.
It is broadly said that solar power will be the future source for all energy on Earth, which may be for the same reason. Our society and life is all built on electricity. Food, shelter and clothing cannot be maintained without electric energy. But two approaches can be taken at the same time. Reduce the amount of energy needed (including smart usage of solar energy directly instead of turning into electricity), and switch to energy that doesn't depend on the "past" but can follow the nature law of energy flow.
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