alternative fossil fuels

• Geothermal Energy


  Very efficient and reliable and operates all year round day and night, popular in countries with volcanic setting and likely to increase as technology spreads to LIC's, currently does not contribute a large amount to the global energy mix
• Shale Gas


  Extracted through fracking, provides 25% of the US's energy needs in 2015, benefits include being less polluting than coal or oil, could provide boost to the economy, disadvantages include wastewater needing treating due to chemical contents, may pollute groundwater aquifers, and may cause low magnitude earthquakes
• Deep-Water Oil


  As oil supplies decrease, energy companies have begun extracting oil from deeper depths, faces larger risks during extraction, and (similar to normal oil production) oil spills during transportation, benefits include many engines and appliances being designed to operate on oil, and shale gas producing half the emissions of coal, disadvantages include being more expensive to produce than conventional gas
• Tar Sands

  The extraction of petroleum from sands involves high energies and boiling water, which can leave ponds of concentrated chemicals, benefits include creating economic growth and a large influx of jobs for rural regions, disadvantages include being water and energy intensive, producing a large volume of waste, and open mining destroying habitats