Fossil fuels are of great importance because they can be burned (oxidized to carbon dioxide and water), producing significant amounts of energy per unit weight. The use of coal as a fuel predates recorded history. Coal was used to run furnaces for the melting of metal ore. Semi-solid hydrocarbons from seeps were also burned in ancient times, but these materials were mostly used for waterproofing and embalming. natural gas is a major source of electricity generation through the use of gas turbines and steam turbines. Most grid peaking power plants and some off-grid engine-generators use natural gas. Particularly high efficiencies can be achieved through combining gas turbines with a steam turbine in combined cycle mode. Natural gas burns more cleanly than other hydrocarbon, such as oil and coal, and produces less carbon dioxide per unit of energy released. For an equivalent amount of heat, burning natural gas produces about 30% less carbon dioxide than burning petroleum and about 45% less than burning coal. Combined cycle power generation using natural gas is thus the cleanest source of power available using hydrocarbon fuels and this technology is widely used wherever gas can be obtained at a reasonable cost. Fuel cell technology may eventually provide cleaner options for converting natural gas into electricity, but as yet it is not price-competitive.
The Essay on Rising Gas Prices
There are many different elements that contribute to rising gasoline prices. The major cause for increasing gasoline prices has to do with refining capacity. Even if oil were inexpensive, we would still have a problem converting it into the gas that fuels our economy. That is what keeps the gas prices high. When gas supplies are short, due to an “inability to refine crude oil into gas efficiently, ...
The chemical structure of petroleum is heterogeneous, composed of hydrocarbon chains of different lengths. Because of this, petroleum may be taken to oil refineries and the hydrocarbon chemicals separated by distillation and treated by other chemical processes, to be used for a variety of purposes. Coal is primarily used as a solid fuel to produce electricity and heat through combustion. World coal consumption was about 6.75 billion short in 2006 and is expected to increase 48% to 9.98 billion short tons by 2030. China produced 2.38 billion tons in 2006.India produced about 447.3 million tons in 2006. 68.7% of China’s electricity comes from coal. The USA consumes about 14% of the world total, using 90% of it for generation of electricity. Oil is the largest source of energy for the generation of electricity worldwide, as well as one of the largest worldwide anthropogenic sources of carbon dioxide releases. Gross carbon dioxide emissions from coal usage are slightly more than those from petroleum and about double the amount from natural gas. Coal is extracted from the ground by mining, either underground by shaft mining through the seams or in open pits.
The use of fossil fuels such as petroleum can have a negative impact on Earth’s biosphere, releasing pollutants and greenhouse gases into the air and damaging ecosystems through events such as oil spills. Concern over the depletion of the earth’s finite reserves of oil, and the effect this would have on a society dependent on it, is a field known as peak oil.
Pros
* There are a number of fossil fuel advantages over other sources of energy. The following are some of the advantages of fossil fuels:
* Fossil fuels are immensely popular for their high calorific value, which means burning 1 gm of fossil fuel produces abundant energy. Thus, they are considered to be high efficient.
* Fossil fuels are highly stable in nature compared to other fuels.
* Fossil fuels have a vast potential to power the entire globe.
* Fossil fuels like coal are available in abundance.
* Infrastructure for fossil fuel energy is fully developed.
The Essay on Differences Between Fossil Fuel And Renewable Energy
... %5 is provided by renewable energy. There are several differences between fossil fuel and renewable energy. Fossil fuel are including: oil, coal, natural gas and their derivative versus renewable ... energy types, such as solar, wind and ...
* Fossil fuels are tried and tested, so there is a huge potential for sustainable development.
* Transportation of liquid or gaseous fossil fuels is very easy.
* Fossil fuels are cheaper than non-conventional forms of energy, as it is easy to extract and process them.
Cons
* However, there are several fossil fuel disadvantages, especially because of their over exploitation:
* Although fossil fuels like oil and natural gas are available in abundance, their over exploitation has resulted in their substantial depletion.
* Fossil fuels are the largest emitters of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane which are negatively impacting the ozone layer, a protective cover above the earth that is essential for the survival of all species.
* Fossil fuels also emit harmful gases like carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide which produce acid rain.
* Fossil fuels, being the largest emitters of greenhouse gases, are responsible for global warming and climate change.
* Extraction of fossil fuels threatens the ecological balance in many areas. For example, coal mining is also a reason for earthquakes.
* Overexploitation of fossil fuels is fast leading to their depletion, as fossil fuels are non-renewable in nature.
* Formation of fossil fuels takes millions of years.
The aforementioned fossil fuel advantages and disadvantages point out that we are extremely dependent on fossil fuels. In fact, the fossil fuel disadvantages are brought about because of their overexploitation and reckless use. Though alternative sources of energy promise a great future, their development and infrastructure will require lots of time and investment. As long as we can use fossil fuels efficiently and rationally, we will not face many problems.
I think usage of fossil fuels should be discouraged. We should not use non reusable resources, we should use reusable resources. Re-Usable resources means that the resources that can be re-usable after the actual use is over. An example is a Chargeable Battery, The Electrical energy is used and then the Battery can be re-used after its charging. Another example may be plastic products with can be re-cycled in some other form, or in the same form. This would help stop most pollution, because alternative resources are cleaner.
The Term Paper on Alternate Fuels Jennifer Natural Gas
... viable alternative fuels are alcohols, specifically methanol and ethanol both obtainable from petroleum and natural (biomass) sources, many domestic resources, fossil and renewable resources, natural gas, ... currently being developed not including solar powered vehicles. These include 100% electric vehicles, vehicles with range extending generators and regenerative braking devices, and ...
Alternative fuel vehicles refers to both:
* vehicles that use alternative fuels used in standard or modified internal combustion engines such as natural gas vehicles, neat ethanol vehicles, flexible-fuel vehicles, biodiesel-powered vehicles, and hydrogen vehicles.
* vehicles with advanced propulsion systems that reduce or substitute petroleum use such as battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
