In light of the long-term environmental consequences of fossil energy extraction (whether that be hydraulic fracturing, tar sands, mountaintop mining, offshore drilling), and the cost of protecting water, air, and both human and ecosystem health, it's clear that something must be done.
Most experts agree that over the next ten to twenty years, fossil fuels will become an ever-more specialized (and ever-more expensive) niche product, because solar, wind, battery, and smartgrid technologies will become both more efficient and much cheaper, over those two decades.
The problem is how to get through the next ten to twenty years with the least long-term damage, to the largest area. It is a classic conflict between short-term benefit and long-term harm; between short-term profit and long-term quality of life.