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The Fossil Of Fossil Fuels

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Fossil fuels are formed from decayed prehistoric plants and animals that lived millions of years ago (Science Daily). According to the United States Department of Energy, when ancient living plants and animals died, they decomposed and became buried under layers of mud, rock, and sand. After millions of years, these plants and animals slowly decomposed into organic material. Depending on what combination of plant and/or animal debris was decomposed, different types of fossil fuels were formed. These fossil fuels are then converted into coal, oil, and natural gas (United States Department of Energy). With this in mind, fossil fuels take millions of years to form and once used they can never be used again, leaving them to be known as nonrenewable resources.
Each type of fossil fuel releases different substances into the air when being used. For example coal is a hard rich-like substance that is made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and varying amounts of sulfur. Obviously, when burned these elements are released into the atmosphere (California Energy Commission). Coal is available in almost every country in the world, with the biggest reserves in the United States, Russia, China, and India.
For over centuries, fossil fuels have been used to fuel houses, cars, and work places, along with many others establishments. Fossil fuels are a necessity in the average persons life. As stated by Clarkson University, of all the energy consumed in the United States, 85.6% is

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