INTRODUCTION:
Fossil fuels are formed from the organic remains of prehistoric organisms, like plants and animals. All fossil fuels take over millions of years to fully form into a usable energy source; which is where the problem begins. Ever since the first usage of fossil fuels back in the late 1850s, the demands for fossil fuels have sky-rocketed to astronomical proportions. Ever since the Industrial revolution, fossil fuels have been used to power nearly everything. The fossil fuels were used to power trains to compensate for a lack of firewood and charcoal. This was also the time when automobiles had to become more affordable to the public, so the demand for fuel continued to rise. As time went on, fossil fuel demands sky-rocketed leading to more excavation for coal and oil deposits. The usage of fossil fuels has led to world that we live in now, but due to our overpowering dependence on them has left the world with a serious problem; when we run out of fossil fuels, what are we going to do?
Another major problem of using fossil fuels is the overall pollution that is produced as a byproduct. In 2011 alone, all the nations of the world produced over 38.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The continuous use of fossil fuels alone has trapped so much carbon in our atmosphere, that it has form a “greenhouse effect” which has trapped the UVA rays from the sun and they continuously heat the planet, which has led to global climate changes, and even the melting the polar ice caps. This has now caused the ocean water levels to rise, which has, in turn, started to cause even more troubles.
FOSSIL FUELS 3
It was Svante Arrhenius who proposed the effects of carbon oxide on our atmosphere. Arrhenius calcu...
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... to power our everyday things increased. Fossil fuels have done so much for us in the past but the question still remains; what do we do when the planet runs out.
Along with building our world on a limited resource, the fossil fuels also have caused major problems for our environment. Because of the pollution that is emitted by burning fossil fuels, they have led to the major meltdown of the polar ice-caps, and increased the water levels by half-a-foot. Along with destroying the ocean, people have gone to the extreme to mine out coal and oil. People have destroyed forest and mountains to dig out what they are looking for, but just further destroying the atmosphere. With the data that has been collected over the past 100 years, it shows that the average global temperature has steadily increased. As the temperature increases, so did the demand for the fossil fuel.
Since measurements began in 1958 -- and it can be assumed to have been the case since the industrial revolution -- emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere has risen steadily as a result of the burning of fossil fuels (Quay, pp 2344). Although there is much argument over the implications of increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, there are several points that almost all scientists would agree on: firstly, carbon dioxide acts to absorb radiated heat; if present in our atmosphere will do just that to some extent. Second, the concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is rising. Third, the temperature of the planet is rising - although the amount of this increase and the causes of this rise are subject to disagreement (Philander, pp 193).
From the home to factories, families and industries are reliant on the use of nonrenewable fossil fuels to feed the needs of the everyday human. Fossil fuels are the main source of energy over clean, renewable sources such as the use of wind, solar energy, and water to power our homes, schools, and industries. In fact, about 85% of energy use comes from fossils fuels. The main reason being that using fossil fuels is cheaper than wind and solar energy. “For nearly two centuries, fossil fuels have been the cheapest source of energy” and widely abundant (Marburger, A global framework: international aspects of climate change). However, overtime fossil fuels will disappear due to the lack of time to replenish itself with the human races rapid use of it. Despite its current status of availability, there are many controversial issue in using fossil fuels; the most prominent issue being that it is the cause of rapid climate
Semantically fossil fuels are a renewable source of energy, however given that it takes millions of years for the organic materials to be broken down and converted, it is wholly unrealistic to consider them as renewable. As the demand for fossil fuels increases and source diminish faster than they are replentished, the United States must work towards a renewable energy independent state using truly renable sources, both technically and in practice. With changes in the home, as consumers in buying goods and with alternative fuel sources backed by public trust and governmental involvement, the United States could drastically lessen its dependence on fossil fuels, foreign and domestic.
Ever since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution at the end of the 18th century, fossil fuels have been used constantly, slowly changing the planet’s atmosphere. According to Mann, “the preindustrial level of CO2 was 280 parts per million (ppm)” (N. pag). He predicts that at current rates, we will reach 560 ppm by the end of the 21st century. To make matters worse, Mann states that 450 ppm is dangerous as it will cause an increase in Earth’s average temperature by 2 Celsius. He recommends taking measures to keep CO2 at less than 405 ppm (N. pag). Mann takes note that in 2013, the value managed to reach 400 ppm (N. pag). It is needless to say that the point of no return is right around the corner. Unfortunately, the affects of pollution are already felt around the world. Pollution can cause many health issues and damage several organs in the body. When people think ...
Fuel alternatives for the future are very important because, we need resources for life. We won’t have fossil fuels forever. It is important to start now. If we did not have any fuel alternatives how would the world be?
The effects of using fossil fuels are starker than their timelines. Humans release approximately two billion metric tons of pollution annually, mostly from the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas; this pollution is destroying our environment and the ozone layer. Ozone and smog damage forests, crops, and other plant life, and reduces visibility. Other pollutants have the same
Fossil fuels are an important part of life. When you turn on the lights, watch TV, or take a shower, the electricity that you are using is being generated by fossil fuels. The three types of fossil fuels are coal, crude oil, and natural gas. They all take millions of years to form, so they are considered to be “non-renewable”- eventually, the fossil fuels will all be used up. One dangerous biological effect of using fossil fuels is ocean acidification. Extracting and transporting fossil fuels can also be very dangerous. Environmentally damaging accidents such as groundwater contamination, land subsidence, and oil spills occur frequently. Global warming is another possible environmental effect. Fossil fuels have a crucial role in modern society, but since they are non-renewable and dangerous, we should reduce our dependence on them and explore alternative energy sources. Wind energy, hydroelectricity, and solar energy are some examples of renewable fuel sources. There are also many things that people can do everyday to save energy (and, in turn, conserve fossil fuels).
It is unfortunate that within the past 100 years our worlds' economy has driven itself into a deep hole with the reliance on a "black gold" called oil. Since its discovery, it has been purified to produce many different forms of energy such as light, gasoline and more. Since technology has enabled mankind to discover more capable methods of transportation, mankind has exploited its power over nature and produced machines such as the combustion engine. In combustion engine's, oil explodes to move machinery, and emits a very toxic byproduct called CO2. Carbon is incredibly dangerous to the earth's atmosphere, and erodes huge holes in the ozone layer of our earth. This erosion causes global warming and climate change that is permanent and irreversible. The impact of global warming will not only ...
As an outcome, researchers around the globe have established that the by-product of burning fossil fuels is the main culprit of the increasing temperatures. Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have
Global heating and cooling has occurred on a cycle for millennia, however in the past thirty years the increased use of energy and fuels by humans has drastically changed this natural occurrence (Juerg, 2007). The largest cause of this warming is the release of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide levels are twenty-five percent higher than they were in 1957 (UCS, 2013). This seemingly insignificant change has caused a myriad of negative effects. The endangerment of species, rising sea levels, and increased natural disasters are just a few examples of change brought about by global warming (Juerg, 2007).
...and consume. The earth isn’t getting any bigger or more abundant- so it’s up to us to take care of it.
With the growing concern of the depletion of the world’s fossil fuels, finding substitute resources has lead to an increased interest in both the idea of sustainability and renewable energy sources. As the world slowly progresses towards this idea of renewable energy, many people are wondering which renewable energy source will last the longest. Though all renewable energy resources are better than the current depleting fossil fuels, the most promising renewable energy resource will depend on where the problem lies geographically. Therefore, for the northeast region of the United States, specifically Massachusetts, wind power proves to be the most promising renewable energy source due to the recent contracts made by the state with wind generating plants, it’s creation of the clean energy industry and Massachusetts’s geographic location.
The burning of fossil fuels has greatly harmed our environment and is a leading cause as to why climate change has become such a threat to our way of living. In May of 2013, the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere reached 400 parts per million, an increase of more than 40 percent since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. This could cause the Arctic Ocean to be nearly ice-free during the summer by 2020(Overland and Wang, 2013).
...outcompete fossil fuels, but by using different forms of alternative energy fossil fuels use could be reduced drastically. Now is the time for a conversion from fossil fuels to alternative energy.
Fuels like coal, and oil that once were a fine innovation in creating energy are now rapidly deleting and one day will be gone forever; energy that won’t last is often referred to as non-renewable energy. Besides being set up to fail and become inefficient in the future, fossil fuel energy is not clean to use and poses several environmental complications. Coal, for instance is “the dirtiest of all fossil fuels. Coal combustion not only produces sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides that contribute to acid rain and snow, it generates millions of tons of particulates that cause asthma and other respiratory diseases.” As with all usage of fossil fuels, it creates enormous amounts of carbon dioxide, which contributes to greenhouse gas. Not only are fossil fuels dirty, they also pose as a security risk and unforgiving on the American wallet. (Saini)