I'd argue that the initial use of fossil fuels was not a mistake. It propelled civilization into modernity. The big mistake was not phasing out fossil fuels as

I'd argue that the initial use of fossil fuels was not a mistake. It propelled civilization into modernity. The big mistake was not phasing out fossil fuels as alternatives became available. We could have limited global warming to below one degree without hurting our quality of life if we had started acting decisively sometime back in the seventies.