Abstract Fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy that were form billions of years ago. The three different types of fossil fuels in the world include: oil, coal and natural gas. Although each of the three types of fossil fuels are extracted differently they are all processed and used as the world’s primary sources of energy. Being the world’s primary sources of energy, fossil fuel experience advantages as well as disadvantages as an energy source. The use of fossil fuels, as an energy source, impact the environment as well as social, economic and political aspects of the world.
Fossil Fuels; Beginning of Existence The existence of fossil fuels stem from the Carboniferous Period in time (U.S. Department of Energy, Fossil Energy). According to an article from Energy Source the creation of fossil fuels came about when “prehistoric plants and animals died” and then buried under the Earth for millions of years (Fossil). The formation of the different types of fossil fuels depend on a few factors such as: “what combination of organic matter was present, how long it was buried and what temperature and pressure conditions existed as time passed.” (Fossil). Fossil fuels are considered a non-renewable source of energy because once every ounce of this particular energy is gone, more cannot be produced. According to an article from Science Learn, “Non-renewable energy resources cannot be replaced – once they are used up, they will not be restored (or not for millions of
Fossil fuels are formed from plants and animals that lived hundreds of million of years ago died and were gradually buried by layers of rock.
Coal, crude oil, and natural gas are all considered fossil fuels because they were formed from the buried remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago.
Currently fossil fuels are the world’s primary energy source. The fossil fuels include coal, petroleum, and natural gases. Fossil fuels are organic materials formed from decayed plants and animals that due to heat and pressure from hundreds of
There is a common misconception that fossil fuels come from dead dinosaurs, and while this is not actually true, fossil fuels do come from dead plans and animals, however they were dead long before the dinosaurs roamed the earth (U.S. Department of Energy). The type of animal and plant, as well as the varied combinations these could create, determine the type of fossil fuel that was formed (U.S. Department of Energy): oil, natural gas, or coal. The EIA defines fossil fuels as “concentrated organic compounds found in the Earth’s crust” (Fossil Fuels). This means that fossil fuels are formed when
Contradictory to what many people believe, fossil fuels are not dead dinosaur remains. “In fact, most of the fossil fuels we find today were formed millions of years before the first dinosaurs” (“Fossil Energy: How Fossil Fuels Were Formed,” n.d.). They were formed from prehistoric plants and animals that lived many millions of years ago and are considered non-renewable because they are not sustainable and cannot be easily replaced due to their formation taking billions of years. “When these ancient living things died, they decomposed and became buried under layers and layers of mud, rock, and sand. Eventually, hundreds and sometimes thousands of feet of earth covered them” (“Fossil Energy: How Fossil Fuels Were Formed,” n.d.). In some areas, these materials were covered by ancient seas before they dried up. “During the millions of years that passed, the dead plants and animals slowly decomposed into organic materials and formed fossil fuels. Different types of fossil fuels were formed depending on what combination of animal and plant debris was present, how long the material was buried, and what conditions of temperature and pressure existed when they were decomposing” (“Fossil Energy: How Fossil Fuels Were Formed,” n.d.). For example, oil and natural gas were created from plants and/or animals that lived in the water and were buried under bodies of water such as oceans, rivers, etc.
Fossils fuels have been the main source of energy since the beginning of this industrial advancement. Due to the anthropogenic emission of CO2,
Fossil fuels are a fuel that was formed over millions of years from organic material from forms of life. There are different types of fossil fuels such as gas, oil, nuclear and the one mostly produced in Australia, coal. Australian government supplies energy from fossil fuels to the entire country as around 86% of electricity is generated from these fuels, with 73% from coal and 13% from natural gas with renewable energy sources making up 14% of Australia’s electricity (origin,2015). Fossil fuels have advantages such as the reliability and efficiency because they generate huge amount of energy which is more reliable (Rinkesh,2009). They are also safe with easy transportation on large trucks or pumped through large pipes. However, fossil fuels
Fossil fuels were formed millions of years ago. Many people thought fossil fuels were formed by the remains of dead dinosaurs, but fossil fuels were actually formed before dinosaurs even walked this earth. (US Department of Energy). “However Fossil fuels were once alive; they were formed from ancient plants and animals that lived hundreds of millions of years ago. When these plants and animals died, they decomposed and became buried under layers and layers of mud, rock, and sand. Eventually, hundreds and sometimes thousands of feet of earth covered them.” (US Department of Energy). A million years later the dead plants and animals decomposed into organic materials and formed what we call now “Fossil Fuels” (US Department of Energy). There are three types of fossil fuels and how they were formed depend on the
The formation of the other two fossil fuels (crude oil and natural gas) took millions of years just like coal. Oil and gas come from the remains of small animals and plants. Long ago, when the animals and plants died, they sank to the bottom of the sea. The dead matter formed a large mass, which over time was covered by layers of sand, silt, and mud. As the weight of the sediment increased, the mass became more and more compressed. Then, the heat and pressure of the Earth eventually turned the mass into oil and gas. If the heat applied during the formation was low, then more oil was produced than gas. If the temperature was
This paper will discuss the three main fossil fuels which are oil, coal, and natural gas. This research shows how the fossil fuels are formed, where they could be found, and explain how they were formed over millions of years. This paper will show the numerous advantages of fossil fuels compared to the disadvantages and how they are hurting the Earth. Fossils fuels are critical to the function of everyday life. The world would be a different if fossil fuels and their uses were not to of use.
Fossil fuels are natural resources that come from earth underground. They are formed from dead plants or animals that have been trapped in the ground hence the name ‘’fossil fuels’’. They are hydrocarbons or
Fossil fuels are essential to life on earth as we know it today. Our world would certainly be much different if it weren’t for such seemingly simple things such as coal, oil, and natural gas. These basic elements of life on earth may not seem like a major concern to some people until we put into perspective how they have shaped our world today. Civilizations have been built, economies have risen and crumbled, and even wars have been fought over these precious fossil fuels. However, these fossil fuels serve us in ways we may never truly appreciate, as long as we use them as recklessly as we do now. The major entity about fossil fuels is concerning their longevity and permanence in our world, and we all know, they will be around forever.
“the three main forms of fossil fuels are coal, crude oil, and natural gas. Coal is extracted from the earth through surface mining or underground mining, depending on the depth and concentration of the coal reserves, and crude oil is extracted in liquid form from underground reservoirs, oil shale, or tar sands deposits. Once extracted, crude oil is refined to create gasoline, fuel oil, and a variety of
Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons, primarily coal, fuel oil or natural gas created from the decade of dead plants and animals. Fossil fuels are formed through the natural process. So they are considered as un-renewable resources because the formation of fossil fuels may take millions of years and the feasible reserves are being run-down much faster than new ones are being made. The use of fossil fuel was started in the industrial revolution with the invention of the steam engine. All fired power stations like nuclear, coal, gas and oil are still working on the same principle of the steam engine. Still, fossil fuels are controlling to change the structure of our global economy. After the invention of the steam engine by James Watt (1769) brought widely increased the energy efficiency. After this invention, the use of fossil fuels is increased rapidly. This helps to give a
The world currently functions through the use of fossil fuels. However, fossil fuels possess two significant disadvantages. Fossil fuels harm the global environment because they enhance the greenhouse effect by releasing carbon dioxide, and they release other harmful