Fossil Fuels and the Energy Crisis

702 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Fossil fuels and alternate sources of energy

We have used fossil fuels for years. They provide us with heat, electricity, energy, and almost everything else we use every day of our lives. These resources, though, take millions and millions of years to create. Once we use up all of these resources, they are gone and will not be planning to come back until after another million years. The question puzzling people and scientists alike is “What are we going to do when those resources run out?” These resources seem to have such a benefit on mankind, that often we forget the cons of these resources. Over all, fossil fuels have seemed like superman to people since their discovery, but are there things about these “heroes” that we don’t know about? And, what are we going to do when they’re gone? The 3 forms of fossil fuels are coal, oil, and natural gas. Coal, a hard and black rock-like substance is one of the most popular fossil fuels. Made up of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and different amounts of sulfur, coal is mined out of the ground. In fact, coal has been mined out of the ground for years, discovered about 3,000 years ago in China. Oil, formed more than 300 million years ago, is yet another form of fossil fuels. It is formed underground between rock and in areas of rock that contain pores and oils inside of the rock. To locate and collect oil, companies must drill deep into the ground and pump the oil using oil rigs. Natural gas, the third form of fossil fuels, is lighter than air. Made up of methane, natural gas is very flammable. It forms and is collected the same way as oil. Fossil fuels have many impacts. They have both biological and environmental impacts. The biological impacts of fossil fuels include illnesses and harm to animals. Illnesse... ... middle of paper ... ...o finishing our share of fossil fuels and the change to alternative energy is coming closer. With the help of the people, researchers, and scientists, we will soon be able to end our energy crisis. Perhaps our heroes, the fossil fuels, need to take a rest after all they have been working for the past million years. It’s time to welcome our new heroes, alternative energy, and hope that they, unlike fossil fuels, will need not rest in the future of humanity. Works Cited energyquest.ca.gov/story/chaptor08.html ehow.com/info_8479456-biological-result-use-fossil-fuels.html greeninnovations.co.uk mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/stories/top-ten-eco-innovations-for-a-better-planet clean-energy-ideas.com/solar/solar-energy/pros-and-cons-of-solar-energy energyinformative.org/wind-energy-pros-and-cons/ greenthefuture.com/HYDROELECTRIC_PROSCONS.html

Show More
Related

  • The Keystone XL Pipeline and Public Response

    2961 Words  | 6 Pages

    Pattanayek, Mala and DeShields, Bridgette. “Characterizing Risks to Livestock From Petroleum Hydrocarbons” Blasland, Bouck and Lee, Inc. University of Oklahoma-Tulsa, 2003. Web. 10 December 2015.

    Read More

  • Oil Resources in Canada

    2662 Words  | 6 Pages

    In today’s world humans are consuming massive amounts of fossil fuels. The top five oil consuming countries in the world are the usual suspects. These include the United States, China, Japan, India and Russia. Canada comes in at number 10 with a daily consumption of 2,287 thousand barrels per day. There are three major types of fossil fuels: coal, oil and natural gas. These resources were formed during the Carboniferous Period 360-286 million years ago. During this time earth was covered in swamps with large amounts of plants and waters filled with algae. When these plants and trees began to die they would form layers of peat. Hundreds and thousands of years would pass adding sand and other materials on top of the peat. This formed the sedimentary rocks we know today. As the thousands of years turned into millions of years the water of the peat layer was pushed out of the peat until the layer of diatoms turned into coal, oil or natural gas (CEC, 2013). Canada has oil industry throughout the country and currently 12 out of 13 provinces are active in the oil industry. Natural gas production is occurring in British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, and New Brunswick. Natural gas could also become large industry in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador, Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Oil production is currently taking place in the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland & Labrador (CAPP, 2013).

    Read More

  • How Can the United States Lessen its Dependence on Fossil Fuels?

    1536 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Renewable Energy: A Bright Future

    697 Words  | 2 Pages

    In chapter thirteen of our book, Environment by Raven and Berg, it shows us just how important renewable energy sources are. Currently the United States of America thrives on the use of fossil fuels and nuclear power. The main problems with these types of fuel are that they are both limited and can be extremely harmful to our environment. They cause global warming, air pollution, acid rain, and oil spills (Environment), and not only that, but in the grand scheme of things, these sources really aren’t even that cheap of a fuel source. There are many alternatives to these all but outdated fuel sources.

    Read More

  • Flame Retardants Essay

    1212 Words  | 3 Pages

    In addition to their many adverse effects on the human body, flame retardants also represent a hazard to the environment. They have similar effects on other animals as they do on humans. Even after certain types of flame retardants’ production was stopped after the discovery of their dangerous effects, they are still being detected in the environment, and are therefore still disturbing the ecosystem. (Guigueno,

    Read More

  • Fossil Fuels vs. Renewable Energy

    1889 Words  | 4 Pages

    Over the last two centuries, humanity has become increasingly reliant on fossil fuels. Over that time, the consequences of constantly burning fossil fuels have accumulated into a threat to industrialized cities. The burning of fossil fuels causes acid rain to shower on cities and ecosystems around the world, tormenting their inhabitants. The increasingly deadly pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels has caused the deaths of many people around the world by causing respiratory problems. Not only has the pollution worsened, but the supply of fossil fuels is not limitless – as humanity’s reliance increases the supply decreases, and that is all the more reason to break humanity’s reliance on fossil fuels. Fossil fuels should be replaced with cleaner alternatives because fossil fuels cause environmental hazards, are non-renewable, and are detrimental to human health.

    Read More

  • Fuel Alternatives for the Future

    1347 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fossil fuels are an unreliable and unsafe source for worldwide energy. Our common fuels will run out as in: Ethanol, Petroleum, and Oil. Honestly we need those fuels for life, to drive cars, four wheelers, lawn mowers, and tractors, etc. If we did not have those things anymore our ways of living will drastically decrease. People in our society are so use to driving vehicles that if that gets taken away World War III would start. We use lawn mowers to cut our grass, to keep our land in shape and pretty. We also use tractors for multiple things not only to keep big pastures in shape, but also to use for logging. People do logging for a living. Without tractors their job would be very intense.(conserve-energy-future.com)

    Read More

  • The Energy Crisis: Traditional Energy vs. Renewable Energy

    729 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the debate of traditional energy vs. renewable energy the clear winner is renewable energy. Renewable energy is vastly superior over traditional energy because it decreases dependence on foreign resources, produces no emissions, and is not limited in quantity. Opponents of renewable energy are likely to argue that this is not the case and that instead, traditional energy is better because it creates job growth, is reliable during all hours and climates, and comes with a lower cost. These advantages however are either misconstrued or hardly outweigh the long-term positive benefits of renewable energy.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Coal Pollution

    951 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Fossil Fuels and Alternative Energy Sources

    2001 Words  | 5 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • Renewable Energy: The Switch is Now

    1511 Words  | 4 Pages

    The use of fossil fuels on a large scale, specifically coal, began with the Industrial Revolution in England. Industries/corporations first used coal as a main source of energy to fuel their factories, and it became even more popular when railroads started. According to the United States Energy Department, "...by the early 20th century coal had become the major fuel in the United States, accounting for nearly 75% of the nation's energy requirements." Soon after, newer and cheaper fossil fuels, such as oil and natural gas, were high in demand. Energy Supplies, Sustainability, and Costs, by Sandra Alters, states oil was used as the main source of fuel to heat homes and offices, and gas powered the growing number of cars (57). "Oil shoved aside coal as the world's primary fuel, just as coal had replaced wood", says Tom Mast in Over a Barrel: A Simple Guide to the Oil Shortage (15). Most Americans were not concerned wit...

    Read More

  • Essay On Climate Change

    2100 Words  | 5 Pages

    These fuels include coal, oil products such as gasoline, and natural gas. Use of these fuels has a number of harmful health and environmental effects. According to the World Health Organization, outdoor air pollution, most of it from burning fossil fuels, especially coal kills at least 800,000 people each year and causes health problems for tens of millions of others. Technology is available to reduce such air pollution, but using it is costly and results in higher fuel

    Read More

  • Fossil Fuels Essay

    845 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fossil fuels are natural fuels that are formed when remains of dead organisms pass through episodes of natural processes such as decomposition and disintegration; that exceeded millions of years. Fossil fuels include coal, oil and natural gas; they are categorized as fuels due to their ability to release energy when they undergo combustion. Meanwhile, they are the main source of producing the energy that is consumed by humanity. The scope of this essay will discuss the different advantages and disadvantages of using fossil fuels as sources of energy and alternative energy sources and methods discovered by environmentalists that are more environmentally friendly.

    Read More

  • Invest In Renewable Resources Essay

    1032 Words  | 3 Pages

    Industrial and technological mechanics are used to power the world. In order to do this, fossil fuels have been the sole source for most of these mechanics-such as buildings, vehicles, electricity, etc. However, as mankind progresses in these advances, the demand of power sources increases with each given year, thus the world’s fossil fuel reserves are depleted at an alarming rate. In addition, the continuous use of these non-renewable resources results in deadly implications. Although fossil fuels are a suitable source of energy, renewable resources are essentially a better form of energy because it is renewable, it is eco-friendly, and it brings economic benefits.

    Read More

  • Renewable Energy is the Future

    990 Words  | 2 Pages

    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)

    Read More

More about Fossil Fuels and the Energy Crisis

Open Document