The Fossil Fuel Energy and Its Effects

The Fossil Fuel Energy and Its Effects

Introduction

Fossil fuels are nonrenewable energy resources formed from dead remains of plants and lower animals including phytoplankton and zooplankton that have settled to the sea or lake bottom in large quantities under anoxic conditions. They are nonrenewable resources because they take millions of years to form, and reserves are being depleted much faster than new ones are being formed. They formed from ancient organisms that died and were buried under layers of accumulating sediment. As additional sediment layers built up over these organic deposits, the materials were subjected to increasing temperatures and pressures, leading to the formation of a waxy material known as kerogen, and subsequently hydrocarbons. The processes involved are diagenesis and catagenesis.

The three types of fossil fuel are coal, natural gas, and petroleum (crude oil). They are widely different in their physical properties and molecular composition. Carbon is the predominant element present in them. They differ in the amounts of hydrogen and carbon they contain, and this accounts for the differences in fuel energy content and physical state. The ratio of hydrogen atoms to carbon atoms is approximately 1:1, 2:1, and 4:1 in coal, crude oil, and natural gas, respectively.

Fossil energy is energy produced from petroleum, coal and natural gas. Unlike renewable energy, subject to these three fuels is fixed and non-renewable: it exhausts itself as and when it is used. Fossil fuels have a production capacity of energy per unit volume high. But they have many disadvantages:

The reserves are limited , and they are quickly running out: it is necessary to consider very quickly greener alternatives

They are unevenly distributed, causing heavy geopolitical tensions

All stages of their operations are highly polluting, and generate hazardous waste

Their transport is dangerous, risky, and caused, including the sinking of oil tankers, oil spills extremely devastating for biodiversity

They are controlled by an oligopoly, a few powerful international companies, which impose their laws, with little involvement of social and environmental

Refining, purification, enrichment, transformation, the transportation, distribution, and end use are very energy efficient and very strong emitters of greenhouse gases. The global warming is largely due to burning fossil fuels for transport, construction and industry. From a perspective of sustainable development, it is to develop environmentally friendly alternatives to exploitation and production of energy from fossil fuels, including the renewable energy, and implement a strong policy of saving energy.

Discussion

Fossil fuels are oil, coal and natural gas formed from plants that lived in ancient times. The supply of fossil fuels is limited and cannot be recycled. Sooner or later the world will run out of fossil fuels. Oil provides 38 percent of total world energy. It has more energy per gram than any other fossil fuel. It is also an important source of chemicals for the plastics industry. Estimates of global oil reserves have changed little in recent times. Many wells are producing less oil each year. Since it is unlikely that geologists find new oil reserves larger in the future will ...