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According to the World Book article “Energy Supply”, over the last century, the world has doubled its use of energy every 20 years. Currently, the burning of fossil fuels is used to generate most of the world's energy. These fuels do not replenish very quickly, so scientists predict that the world’s supplies are eventually going to run out if we continue to use them at the same pace (Planete Energy, n.d.). Fossil fuels have many uses that we rely on, such as providing fuel for transportation or for heating. There are four main types of fossil fuels.
1.Petroleum makes up 35% of the commercial energy sold in the world. It is mainly used to produce transportation fluids, including diesel and gasoline. After it has been removed from the earth, petroleum is more commonly known as crude oil. This oil, in the form of liquid, is transported to refineries which transform it into different products (Planete Energy, n.d.).
2.Coal is responsible for 25% of the commercial energy sold in the world. The heat released from coal is easily transformed into steam. Coal is also essential for the making of steel. Unfortunately, this fossil fuel releases many harmful gases when it is burned, and contributes greatly to the problem of Global Warming.
3.Natural gas makes up 25% of the world’s commercial energy. The heat stored in the gas can be used to generate steam, which could be used for heating or to generate electricity. Although natural gas is less pollutant than oil or coal, it is still harmful to the environment because of the gases it releases when burned.
4.Bituminous sands and oil shale are considered the fossil fuels of the future. The sands are covered with materials capable of producing a heavy and more efficient crude oil, that can be sold for a high price. The largest reserves in the world are found in Alberta. Currently, extraction causes a lot of pollution, but new environmentally friendly methods of retrieval are being studied. Oil shale is a type of sedimentary rock, filled with kerogen. This material can be converted to a type of synthetic crude oil or gas. The combustion involved with this process causes a lot of pollution, including the release of carbon-dioxide.
According to Osman Chughtai and David Shannon of the University of Michigan, 52% of the world’s electricity is supplied by coal power plants. More than 1.9 billion tons of coal is burned every year to answer this incredible demand. At coal power plants, the heat created through the burning of the fuel is used to boil water. The resulting steam is used to spin turbine generators containing electromagnets. The spinning magnets create a current of electrons which are captured and transported to a national power grid. Finally, the electricity is distributed to different households. Although burning coal may be cheaper than other methods of generating electricity, fossil fuels are not renewable, and burning them everyday is causing environmental problems including global warming. The gases emitted at coal power plants, including carbon-dioxide (CO2), damage the ozone layer of our atmosphere, allowing the sun to penetrate more easily. Due to the thinning of the ozone layer, the temperature of the earth is rising dramatically. This phenomenon, known as Global Warming, has become one of the world’s largest problems (Union of Concerned Scientists 2005; Planete Energy, n.d.). As the temperature of the planet increases, so do the sea levels. Some areas located near rivers or the borders of oceans are experiencing more frequent floods. Other regions are receiving longer and more severe droughts. The risk of coastal storms in certain areas that are now beautiful and scenic, such as Cape Cod, will increase as sea levels rise. Finally, exposure to more heat-waves will cause more heat-related deaths and illnesses, such as skin cancer (Union of Concerned Scientists 2005). The world needs to find a clean and renewable alternative fuel before our planet is damaged beyond repair.