Fossil Fuels Essay

Fossil fuels are organic compounds obtained from earth’s crust. They were created from the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. (Institute for Energy Research) Fossil fuels can include: coal, natural gas, and petroleum, or oil. Americans especially are very dependent on fossil fuels just to get through our everyday tasks. Coal provides energy for the power plants who in turn, provide us with electricity in homes. We use natural gas to heat our stoves to cook for our families, and we use petroleum to fuel our car to get us where we need to go. However, in the past several decades, we have become so dependent on fossil fuels to sustain us, we seem to have forgotten that these resources are finite and will soon

There are three main types of coal. These types are: bituminous, lignite, and anthracite. Anthracite coal is considered to be the most valuable, as it contains the most carbon. More carbon within the coal means that it contains a higher energy content. (Energy Quest) Coal is mostly used to provide energy to plant that manufacture electricity, steel, and cement. Oil has been used for approximately 5,500 years. The ancient Egyptians used oil as salve for wounds, to embalm their deceased, and to power oil lamps. Native Americans used oil water-proof canoes, and to treat frostbite. (Energy Quest) Oil is extracted from underground as small droplets inside the pores of rocks. Petroleum is often transformed into transportation fuel and used to make plastic and other synthetic materials.

Natural gas consists of several compounds, the most prominent of which is methane. Natural gas is extremely flammable and can be harmful to humans. It is widely used to heat water and provide heat for cooking. Natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel; it produces about half as much carbon dioxide as

One form of alternative energy is called geothermal energy. Geothermal energy is thermal energy that is created and stored beneath earth’s crust. The most recognizable form of geothermal to most people would be in the form of a hot spring. Heat from Earth’s core heats rock and water differently; some spots can reach up to 700 degrees, whereas some receive not much heat at all. Steam from the water that receives the most heat is trapped in porous rocks underground. This is called a geothermal reservoir. Geothermal energy is very useful because it is renewable, and limitless. Heat continuously flows from the earth’s core, and continues to heat the water and produce steam. Geothermal is also useful because it is 80 percent cheaper than fossil fuels, and it requires no fuel. In fact, the use of geothermal energy decreases the independence on fossil fuels greatly. Geothermal energy does not produce pollution and could potentially save millions of dollars per year if used to replace fossil