Fossil Fuels

• Fossil fuels are conventional (non-renewable) energy sources
• Energy comes from carbon-rich bonds
• Fossil fuels have an extremely high energy output compared to alternative resources
• Fossil fuels are abundant but not renewable
• Fossil fuels are versatile with many applications
• Fossil fuels are easily transported
• Technology exists to reduce start-up costs for using fossil fuels
• Industrial sector uses 42% of energy for chemicals, paper, and fertilizers
• Buildings use 33% of energy for heating, cooling, air, water, and lights
• Transportation sector uses 25% of energy for cars, trucks, planes, ships, and trains
• All fossil fuels come from organic matter buried and exposed to heat and pressure over time
• Types of fossil fuels: Coal, Oil, Natural Gas
• When burned, fossil fuels release CO2 and H2O
• Coal formation involves pressurizing and heating buried plant remains
• Coal is mostly carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen
• Coal usage:
• China is the largest consumer of coal (76% of their energy)
• Coal accounts for 57% of US electricity
• Removal of topsoil and vegetation leads to habitat loss
• Acid and toxic minerals drain from mined areas affecting plant growth
• Increased CO2 levels leading to global warming
• Produces Sulfur Oxides (SO2 & SO3) and Nitrogen Oxides (NO & NO2)
• Carbon Capture is expensive but reduces pollution
• Fluidized-bed combustion reduces pollution by burning at lower temperatures
• Oil and natural gas became the most important energy sources in the 1940s
• Easier to transport and cleaner burning than coal
• In 1993, 63% of U.S. energy needs were met by oil and natural gas
• Natural gas is mainly methane, burns cleaner with less CO2
• Can replace coal use and is primarily used in homes and buildings
• Hydrological Fracturing (Fracking):
• Allows access to oil and gas from shale rock
• Reduces cost and increases production, especially in the U.S.
• Fracking has environmental impacts like groundwater pollution and seismic activity
• Fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) along with nuclear energy are considered conventional because the technology to use them is currently established and fully implemented
• Each of these energy resources is considered non-renewable because the earth has a finite supply of them
• Fossil fuels are currently humanity's primary energy source, used for generating electricity (coal), transporting goods and services (oil), and for industrial activities (natural gas)
• Oil is important for manufacturing petroleum-based products such as plastics, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides
• Fossil fuels can be made sustainable through conservation and efficiency, pollution control laws and technology, and supplementation with renewable alternative energy resources like wind and solar
• Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel in North America and Asia, primarily used for generating electricity and producing steel
• Burning coal produces air pollutants such as particulates, neurotoxins like Mercury, and polluting gases like SO2 and NO2