What Are Fossil Fuels
by Green Living on May 26, 2009
in Environment
Because the supply of energy to our homes and offices is so built-in and easy to use we can take it for granted. You plug an appliance into the wall socket, throw the switch and it works. But where does the energy flowing into your home come from? How is it created? Most importantly, what’s the cost to the environment?
In order to find out where your home energy supply comes from you’ll have to do some investigation. Start with phoning your energy supplier and asking them. There are many different possible sources of the energy you rely on every day, some are more sustainable than others, and they all differ in their environmental impact as well.
Since so much of the energy we use, whether it’s electricity or fuel in our automobiles is derived from fossil fuels this article was written to provide you with some insight into exactly what fossil fuels are, and how they were created.
Fossil fuels are powering the worlds economy. Without these fossil fuels, development would come to a halt and the economy, as we know it now, would crash down. But there is a trade-off here; at least with the removal of fossil fuels there will be less impact on the planet’s environment. That is the issue with fossil fuels – it powers the world, but at the same time affects us in another aspect.
Fossil fuels refer to coal, oil and gas. These fuels are formed from the organic remains of plants and animals. Decomposing plants millions of years ago were covered by layers and layers of rock, mud, and sand, in the process fossilizing them. And from these, the fuels are formed.
Fossil fuels are considered as non-renewable energy resources because these fuels will take millions of years to form. And the reserves for these fossil fuels are fast being depleted with no or little new ones being formed. Based on the estimates provided by the Energy Information Administration, the world’s economies are powered primarily by fossil fuels. As of 2006, world consumption is focused on oil with 36.8 percent share, coal with 26.6 percent share and natural gas’s share is 22.9 percent. Oil and gas are formed almost the same way.
Oil and gas are formed from plankton and plants that lived millions of years ago in fresh water and these organisms were buried under the rivers and the oceans. The formation of the oil and gas started when the water receded back. With the introduction of water, the pressure and the bacteria then combine to make the natural gas and the oil. These fuels then rise up from under the ground, but the pressure from the cap-rock prevents the spillage of the gas and oil to the surface.
The moment petroleum companies conduct their explorations, target the right spot, and drill down the cap-rock, oil and gas will ooze out from underground and these are the fossil fuels that are used right now.
Coal is formed in a slightly different manner. This fossil fuel is from the dead remains of trees, ferns and other plants. By some estimates, these trees and plants lived over 400 million years ago. Coal used as a fossil fuel is usually found in swamps that are covered by seawater. Since saltwater is rich in sulfur, this substance remains in the coal when water has receded. Sulfur will only be released once coal is burned.
Fossil fuels may be the driver of our nation’s economies, but a lot of concerns are raised against these fuels. The challenge is on for the players to make fossil fuels less toxic, or to find ways to cut dependency on these fuels.
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