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What are Fossil Fuels?

Fossil fuels are the remains of plants and animals from the prehistoric era, which have now reduced to mere hydrocarbon chains. These hydrocarbons are in the form of solids or liquids. Fossil fuels have a very high combustion rate and they release tremendous amount of energy. Most of our fuel and energy demands are met by the fossil fuels. Fossil fuels have increased the level of environmental pollution so much, that it has now become a serious environmental concern. Here, we have taken an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of fossil fuels.

Examples of fossil fuels:

Oil
Crude oil, is a liquid fossil fuel made up mostly of hydrocarbons (hydrogen and carbon compounds). Oil can be found in underground reservoirs; in the cracks, crevices, and pores of sedimentary rock; or in tar sands near the earth’s surface. It’s accessed by drilling, on land or at sea, or by strip mining in the case of tar sands oil.

Coal
Coal is a solid, carbon-heavy rock that comes in four main varieties differentiated largely by carbon content: lignite, sub-bituminous, bituminous, and anthracite. Regardless of variety, however, all coal is dirty. Indeed, in terms of emissions, it’s the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel we can burn.
Coal is extracted via two methods: Underground mining uses heavy machinery to cut coal from deep underground deposits, while surface mining removes entire layers of soil and rock to access coal deposits below.

Natural gas

Composed mostly of methane, natural gas is generally considered either conventional or unconventional, depending on where it’s found underground. Conventional natural gas is located in porous and permeable rock beds or mixed into oil reservoirs and can be accessed via standard drilling. Unconventional natural gas is essentially any form of gas that is too difficult or expensive to extract via regular drilling, requiring a special stimulation technique, such as fracking.

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Many of the products we use rely heavily on fossil fuels.

Most of the fossil fuel products that we use every day come out of the energy sector. That means we use them for fuel, heating oil, gasoline, and numerous consumer goods. Everything from ink to crayons to deodorant comes from the processing of fossil fuels. Out of the average 42-gallon barrel of oil that is consumed every day, more than 45% of it will be used in automotive gasoline. About 30% is used for either heating oil or diesel fuel. Then about 20% is used for personal products.

Fossil fuels are a technology that is globally developed.
We have numerous technologies available to us because of the presence of fossil fuels. Although this fuel source is often thought of as a way to provide transportation needs, many of the products that we use every day contain items that were manufactured thanks to fossil fuel technologies. That includes the computers and mobile devices that are used to read this content. Even renewable fuels have a foundation built on fossil fuels.

Fossil fuels are both cheap and reliable.
Because the technologies which surround fossil fuels are well-established, the consumer cost to use them is quite load. The energy that is produced by their refinement and combustion is incredibly consistent. If you pour gasoline into your vehicle, there isn’t a doubt that the fuel will fail to ignite. Fossil fuels give us a strong base load, reliable energy, and it can be created around the clock.

Fossil fuels contribute to the overall welfare of an economy.
We use fossil fuels to transport goods and services to one another. We are productive because of fossil fuels. We can generate renewable energy because of fossil fuels. We drive to the grocery store thanks to fossil fuels. Not only does the purchase of fossil fuels contribute to the national economy, but the use of fossil fuels helps to generate revenues for localized economies. Just about everything we do in life right now is tied, one way or another, to the consumption of a fossil fuel.

Fossil fuels are easier to extract and process, hence are cheaper than the non-conventional forms of energy.

It serves as the primary source behind the plastic products we use.

Although plastics can be created from biofuels, the majority of plastics that we use every day come from the fossil fuels industry. Up to 91% of the plastics we use are not recycled either, which means we need new plastics every year. In just 70 years, the global plastics industry has created more than 8 billion metric tons of virgin plastics. That means we could have built the Empire State Building 25,000 times using just plastic.
Without fossil fuels, these products and the jobs within the plastics industry would all go away.

They can be easily stored and transported.
One big advantage of using fossil fuels is that they can be easily stored and transported. Having a stable composition, they are strong enough to be carried from one place to another.

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Fossil fuels are a finite resource.
It takes a certain amount of time for the fossilization process to occur on our planet. This means fossil fuels are a finite resource. Once they are harvested, they cannot be replaced in the lifetime of anyone living right now according to our current knowledge. It takes millions of years and specific conditions to replace a fossil fuel. That’s a very different effort compared to the energy released in a daily sunrise.

Fossil fuels combust to create an acidic environment.
Many of the outcomes which come out of the combustion of fossil fuels without condensing technologies lead to an environment that is more acidic. This acidity can change ocean environments, alter how crops can grow, and may even lead to a higher risk of drought and famine. Many ecosystems on Earth are very sensitive to changing conditions, which means continued fossil fuel use could lead to unpredictable and extremely negative consequences.

Fossil fuels may contribute to public health issues.
Outside of the risks that pollution causes for premature fatalities, there are ongoing health issues that can be caused by the combustion of fossil fuels. Air pollution that comes from fossil fuel consumption can trigger symptoms that are similar to asthma. It can also create irritation with a person’s air passageways that can trigger chronic coughing, allergy development, lethargy, and other quality of life concerns.

Finding new deposits or resources is becoming progressively more difficult.

The use of fossil fuels is often governed through political processes.

Fossil fuels are priced through three different market influences. They are traded as a commodity, so pricing can be set on what the anticipated price of the fuels will be in the future. They are also governed by free market principles, so when there is a limited supply of them, the price of the fuels moves upward.

Fossil fuels, when consumed, can damage the environment in numerous ways.

One of the most devastating consequences of the transport and use of fossil fuels occurs when a spill happens. Oil spills, especially when they occur at sea, will frequently kill marine mammals. Seals and otters are at a high risk, while whales and dolphins experience severe negative impacts as well. Fossil fuels will contaminate food supplies, which increases the risk. Although the damage is often classified as short-term, the devastation can be so intense that it can cause long-term damage to certain regions as well.

Support networks create environmental damage as well.

For fossil fuels to be effective, a system of transportation and reserve networks must be built to support the power plant, refinery, or processing center. That means a coal-fired plant requires frequent deliveries of coal. Trains and trucks produce emissions because they also consume fossil fuels to generate power. Even the homes of workers consume fossil fuels and contribute emissions as well. That means every support network enhances the negative effects that fossil fuels have on our planet, especially if those who need the power live a good distance away from the power generation stations.

Mining and drilling activities also create environmental damage.

To obtain coal, we must be able to mine it. To obtain petroleum and natural gas, we must drill for it. Even shale oil or tar sands oil requires processing and collection activities. Mining may require trees to be cleared and topsoil to be removed. To reach certain wells or seams, entire regions may be blasted away, forever altering the local landscape and natural habitats. Rain can wash disturbed topsoil into streams, polluting local waterways, which hurts marine life.

Water pollution

Coal, oil, and gas development pose myriad threats to our waterways and groundwater. Coal mining operations wash acid runoff into streams, rivers, and lakes and dump vast quantities of unwanted rock and soil into streams. Oil spills and leaks during extraction or transport can pollute drinking water sources and jeopardize entire freshwater or ocean ecosystems. Fracking and its toxic fluids have also been found to contaminate drinking water.

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When a developing country wants to build a functional economic system and end rampant poverty, it turns to fossil fuels, because are still the cheapest, most reliable energy resources available. Energy is vital to economic development. It means material comforts to industrialized countries but the
way to alleviate poverty in developing countries. The
last three centuries have seen mankind’s substantial
dependence upon an ever-growing use of fossil fuels
(coal, oil and gas) for industrialization and urbanization.

These countries face a dilemma. They seek to drive economic development and reduce poverty using revenues and investment associated with extracting these resources, but doing so drives the consumption of oil, gas and coal contributing to climate change. In turn, such climate change is likely to severely impact these very same countries. On the other hand, if their fossil fuel resources remain in the ground, they may miss out on a significant opportunity to develop their economies and alleviate poverty. This challenge is combined with currently low commodity prices, a failure by many of these countries to build up net savings during the boom and global pressure to curb new fossil fuel consumption.

World population is about to be increased. Population growth increases the demand for energy and implies increased environmental damage as well.

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Compared with developed countries, the scenarios of
population and economic growth have more significant implications for developing countries to achieve economic growth to feed increasing population without
intolerably devastating the environment.

Rich countries are promoting the extraction and use of fossil fuels, while they are using renewable sources of energy. Studies found that half of the aid for energy given in developing countries resulted in funding projects with a view for further use of fossil fuels.

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To sum up, I briefly believe that fossil fuels have many positive aspects but also many considerable drawbacks. The best way for any country to avoid climate complacency is to develop robust, holistic and people-centred policies across government, so short-term trade or financial priorities do not trump the wider imperative of cutting global emissions.

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Coal https://cornwallalliance.org/2018/02/coal-helps-developing-countries-fight-poverty-and-disease-quit-whining-about-it/

Oil
Developing countries have overtaken the industrialised world for the first time in their thirst for oil.
For developing countries, affordable energy can offer a pathway to a better quality of life.

Gas
The opportunities that exist for developing countries in Africa, Asia, South America, and the Middle East for expanding domestic natural gas consumption are substantial.
Natural gas can be used in a wide variety of industrial applications. In general, gas uses in industry can be classified under two broad categories: raw material and industrial fuel.
Natural gas, which contains methane as the dominant component, is used as a chemical feedstock instead of naphtha or fuel oil for the manufacture of nitrogen fertilizers and methanol. The heavier components (ethane, propane, butane) can be used as feedstocks for steam crackers to obtain a range of intermediates. Natural gas can also be used as a fuel to displace oil or coal in both.direct and indirect heating applications.
Electric generating plants have often been the first customers served with natural gas in many developing nations, especially those with little need for space heating.  The largest domestic uses of natural gas in most developing countries are the industrial and electric power generation.

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Coal