Environmental Issues with Fossil Fuels

Fossil fuels as the name suggests are derivatives of plant and animal fossils that are millions of years old. These are primarily formed from the remains of the decayed plants and animals of the carboniferous era. The three fuel sources i.e. coal, natural gas and oil/petroleum help to meet the energy and electricity demands of today’s world. The demand for energy will never be in the declining graph. Industrial revolution has shown the way and it’s still going on

Fossil fuels are the major energy source that are being used in the world today. But there over-consumption can lead to serious environmental issues such as air pollution. Fossil fuels release carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide etc. when burnt that can have severe consequences on the habitats. They are non-renewable sources of energy as they are derived from pre-historic fossils and won’t be available once they are fully used. Their sources are limited and they are depleting at a faster rate.

What are Fossil Fuels?

Fossil fuels are energy resources formed over millions of years from remains of dead plants and animals buried underneath sediment and rock. Subsequent decomposition without the presence of oxygen, coupled with naturally occurring heat beneath the earth and pressure from rock and dirt converted these dead plants and animal matter into fossil fuels.

Fossil fuels are considered nonrenewable energy resources because they take millions of years to form and are harsh on the environment. This means we are current using fossil fuels formed more than 50 years ago, and once they deplete, we will have no fuel to burn.

Three Major Types of Fossil Fuels

1. Oil

Oil is sometimes known as petroleum. Oil is formed from dead plants and animals. When these plant and animal species die, they sink to the ocean floor forming sedimentary drift of decomposing matter. Sediment starts to pile up on the decaying plant and animal matter. As more and more sediment pile up to form numerous layers, the bottom layer becomes compacted by the ever increasing pressure from the piling sediment.

This leads to temperature increases. Over time, the temperature becomes so intense that it starts to speed up chemical processes, which trigger very heavy and complex molecules known as kerogens to congregate from the dismantled components of organic molecules. The kerogens, together with long lasting lipids, as well as limited leftover scraps of cell wall constitute the raw materials that convert into oil after intense heat and increased pressure application.

2. Natural gas

Natural gas is less dense than air, and its biggest constituent is methane gas. Methane is a chemical compound made up of carbon and hydrogen. Natural gas formation is similar to oil, only that it forms due to increased and relentless pressure applied to oil, which causes it to vaporize into gas. Natural gas typically occurs near underground oil deposits. Gas extraction technologies pump it out from underneath the ground and transport it through huge pipelines.