Fossil Fuels Essay ⋆ Environment Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

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Fossil fuels , deriving their name from the ancient remains of organic matter from which they are formed, represent the major energy source in the world today. A nonrenewable resource, fossil fuels exist in finite amounts in the earth’s crust. The most widely extracted and economically viable fossil fuels are coal, petroleum (crude oil), and natural gas. All fossil fuels began as living plants and cellular animals; petroleum as microscopic plants and bacteria, natural gas as plankton and algae, and coal as more dense and fibrous trees and ferns. When these living organisms died, they settled to the bottom of the seas (in the case of oil and natural gas) and swamps (in the case of coal). Over many millions of years, layers of sedimentary material settled above this organic material. As the immense weight of the above-lying sediments increased over time, the resulting pressure and heat transformed the organic source materials into hydrocarbons. These hydrocarbons, forming the basis of all fossil fuels, have a molecular structure made up of mainly carbon and hydrogen.

Today, the vast majority of the world’s energy comes from burning hydrocarbon-based fossil fuels. In the United States, for example, 85 percent of consumed energy comes from fossil fuels. Throughout the world, coal, oil and petroleum-based products (like gasoline and jet fuel), and natural gas provide the energy that powers agricultural and industrial production, modes of transportation, and electricity generation enabling lighting, heating, and cooling of homes and businesses.

Coal-Powerful and Polluting

Of the fossil fuels, coal may have the longest history of human use as energy. Experts believe that as early as 3,000 years ago, coal was used to smelt copper in northeastern China. Coal’s role as an energy supply grew as a source of power during the Industrial Revolution in England. When the mechanization and industrial technologies spread to the United States, the resulting second wave of the Industrial Revolution was powered by Appalachian coal. The advent of steam-powered ships and locomotives utilized coal to fuel steam boilers. By the late 19th century, coal was baked to produce coke, a vital fuel for the iron and steel industries.

Today, coal is widely used to generate electricity, to power industry, and to produce steel. Coal is mined through surface mining and deep underground mines. Coal is mined in over 50 countrieswith China the top producer-followed by the United States, India, Australia, and South Africa. The largest reserves of coal in the world are found in the United States, followed by Russia, China, India, and Australia. Coal is used as an energy source in over 70 countries. The largest coal consumer in the world is China, followed by the United States, India, South Africa, and Japan. With a relatively high sulfur content, coal is the dirtiest and most polluting of all the fossil fuels.

Natural Gas-Clean and Simple

In contrast to coal, natural gas is the cleanest and least polluting of the fossil fuels. The use of natural gas as a fuel energy is a relatively recent phenomenon. In ancient times, the seepage of natural gas from the earth’s crust, ignited by a bolt of lightning, would produce a burning flame originating in the ground. Ancient civilizations marveled at these wonders, and these “eternal flames” featured prominently in the ancient religions of Persia and India. England became the first country to economically exploit coal-produced gas, which illuminated streets and homes. In the United States, the commercial extraction of natural gas (not derived from coal) began in 1859 near Titusville, Pennsylvania. In what also sparked the beginning of the U.S. petroleum industry, Colonel Edwin Drake, using a derrick and drill, struck oil and natural gas nearly 70 feet below the Earth’s surface. During this time, natural gas was used primarily for illumination. The 1885 invention of the Bunsen burner enabled natural gas to also be used safely for cooking and heating. Today, energy derived from natural gas is widely used to heat and cool homes, as well as to power cooking stoves and portable heating units.

Natural gas is primarily methane, the simplest of the hydrocarbon molecules with one atom of carbon and four atoms of hydrogen. The refining process also extracts ethane, propane, butane, and related condensates. Given its many uses, natural gas is an important natural resource. The global supply is relatively localized, with Russia having the largest proved reserves in the world. Other world leaders in natural gas proved reserves include Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates. The world’s largest natural gas exporters are Russia, Canada, Algeria, Norway, and the Netherlands. As with oil, the United States is the world’s largest consumer of natural gas. Other major consumers include Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan. As with all fossil fuels, the burning of natural gas releases carbon dioxide, the leading greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. In addition, methane itself is a green house gas, even more effective in trapping heat than is carbon dioxide.

Petroleum-Crude and Pursued

Petroleum, or crude oil, represents the most important energy resource in the world today. Early nonenergy uses included skin salve and other medicinal purposes, paint, and waterproofing for baskets and boats. Colonel Drake’s successful strike of petroleum and natural gas in 1859 ushered in the oil industry in the United States. Henry Ford’s invention of the automobile opened up a large new market for petroleum. Two World Wars solidified oil’s geopolitical importance for fuel-powered ships, planes, tanks, and troop transports. As the postwar demand for oil increased, the 1970s OPEC oil embargoes revealed the vulnerability, particularly in the United States, to Middle East oil. Throughout the world, petroleum powers industry, global trade, and transportation systems, as well as providing the fuel and fertilizer for agricultural production and foundation for many consumer products. The world’s current and future supply of oil is concentrated in the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia being the largest oil supplier. The largest proved reserves in the world are located in Saudi Arabia, Canada, Iran, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia again leads the world in oil production, followed by Russia, the United States, Iran, and Mexico. The top oil exporters in the world are Saudi Arabia, Russia, Norway, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran. The United States is by far the largest consumer of oil in the world. Other top consumers, though far below the United States, include Japan, China, Germany, and Russia.

Burning Issue: Environmental Costs

The tremendous societal benefits derived from the burning of fossil fuels have come at a significant cost to the Earth’s natural environment, although the total nature and extent of this cost is not completely understood. Burning fossil fuels in factories, automobiles, and power stations releases such compounds as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. The world’s rapid industrialization and population growth through the 20th century, and into the 21st century, has drastically increased the amount of these substances in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, for example, is thought to be the main cause of the anthropogenic (human-caused) greenhouse effect, the accumulation of greenhouse gasses which trap and re-radiate heat within the earth’s atmosphere. The resulting temperature increases (global warming) may lead to climate changes, polar ice melting, sea level rise, and the disruption of the earth’s ecosystems. Another major environmental problem linked to the burning of fossil fuels is acid precipitation in the form of acid rain and acid fog. Sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide, released by burning fossil fuels, enter the atmosphere and react with water vapor to produce acids. These acids are re-deposited on earth in the form of precipitation, harming many of the earth’s ecosystems. Oil tanker spills, air pollution, smog, and the defacing of the earth by coal strip mines represent additional environmental problems linked to the production and consumption of fossil fuels.

Bibliography:

Robert Belgrave, “The Uncertainty of Energy Supplies in a Geopolitical Perspective,” International Affairs (v.61, 1985);
Daniel Glick, “The Big Thaw,” National Geographic (v.206. 2004);
Kevin Krajick, “Long-Term Data Show Lingering Effects from Acid Rain,” Science (v.292, 2001);
Daniel Yergin, The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power (Free Press, 1991).