This article discusses how fossil energy is a major contributor to today’s environmental problems and has serious environmental impacts, including global warming and acid rain. It also points out that despite these problems, energy policies continue to be centered around fossil energy, emphasizing the need for alternative energy sources.
Carbon emissions are one of the most contentious issues in environmental talks today. Carbon emissions are also debated from an economic point of view, as they are very closely related to the use of fossil energy. This means that reducing the use of fossil energy is an important issue. In addition, the social and political impact of fossil energy use cannot be ignored. Countries are competing for energy resources, and countries that are energy-dependent can be at a disadvantage in political negotiations. Fossil energy is more than just an economic issue; it also affects international relations. Let’s take a look at why fossil energy is such an important issue today.
Fossil energy is energy that is produced using fossil fuels, which are underground resources that are the remains of organic matter that was on Earth long ago. Fossil fuels are all characterized by their long generation time. Fossil fuels have been around longer than human history. Examples of fossil fuels include coal, oil, natural gas, and oil sands. Fossil fuels are created in as many different ways and located in as many different places as there are types of fossil fuels.
First, let’s take a look at how coal is created: hundreds of millions of years ago, plant remains were buried in the ground, and when the plant’s main components, cellulose and lignin, were subjected to heat and pressure, oxygen and hydrogen escaped, leaving only carbon. This is what solidifies into coal. Coal turns into peat, then lignite, then bituminous coal, then anthracite. It’s simply plants buried in strata and changed by heat and pressure, so it’s produced in many places, and it’s often formed during the Paleozoic era and buried during that time. The most common finds are from the Carboniferous period, but other periods have also been found. According to the World Energy Association, coal is produced in about 100 countries around the world. The largest reserves are in the United States, with about 22.6% of the total, followed by Russia with 14.4%, China with 12.6%, and Australia with 8.9%. Coal reserves are directly related to a country’s economic power, and conflicts over them can escalate into energy security issues. Coal is believed to have been first used in China in the 4000s BC. Coal began to be used in Europe around the 11th century, but it wasn’t until the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century that it was utilized in earnest.
Petroleum is thought by many to be primarily the remains of microorganisms in warm oceans that were transformed under heat and pressure. Petroleum is produced as a liquid and is mostly found in the Middle East. According to British Petroleum, the Middle East is believed to hold 742 billion barrels of oil, with Saudi Arabia thought to hold close to 250 billion barrels. The Middle East’s oil reserves underscore the region’s importance to the global economy, which is often a source of political and military conflict. Petroleum was first used to replace oil in lamps, and gradually became the most important energy source today as it was used in internal combustion engines. In particular, the refining of oil produces byproducts, such as carbon compounds that are used in asphalt and textiles. In other words, we live with oil.
Natural gas is often deposited alongside oil, and while it was initially burned off in the production of oil, it is now used as extensively for power generation and heating as other fossil fuels. Oil sands are oil-bearing sands that have been harvested in recent years due to their increasing economic value as oil prices have risen.
These fossil energies have been used since the industrial revolution because they have the advantage of being able to obtain enough energy by simply burning them. In particular, demand has increased rapidly with the development of transportation, and they are also very important for electricity production. In particular, the entire process of mining, production, transportation, and consumption of oil and natural gas has been a major driver of the global economy. Since many countries around the world rely on fossil energy for economic growth, any disruption in the supply chain of these resources can cause economic shocks to ripple across the globe. However, the downsides are as great as the upsides. The biggest problem is environmental. This can be broken down into two main categories: the environmental impact of extraction and the environmental impact of use. In the case of coal, the extraction process involves digging up the surface and underground, destroying the surrounding ecosystem. The wastewater from the extraction process also pollutes the surrounding environment. Petroleum also pollutes groundwater with mining equipment. In particular, oil often pollutes the environment during transportation. The Gulf of Mexico oil spill is a prime example of this. Crude oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico have had a serious impact on the environment. Since crude oil is lighter than water, it floats on the surface of the ocean, causing a lot of damage to marine life. These incidents highlight the importance of protecting the environment and the need to explore new alternatives for safe and sustainable energy use. The use of fossil fuels also has a negative impact on the environment. Acid rain and global warming are the most prominent examples.
Acid rain is exactly what it sounds like: acid rain. Real rain is slightly acidic due to the dissolved carbon dioxide in it, but acid rain is caused by a lower pH. It’s mainly caused by sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxides from burning fossil fuels and has caused a lot of damage in Europe. The reason this acid rain is so damaging is simple: it has a low PH. PH is the acidity or basicity of a substance, and the lower the PH, the more acidic it is. Acidic solutions affect proteins a lot, but they also affect marble and bronze statues. The acid turns marble into carbon dioxide and bronze statues into corrosion. In Europe, most of the buildings are made of marble, and there are many statues, so the damage is significant. In addition, the prevailing westerly winds caused more damage in Eastern Europe and Northern Europe than in the United Kingdom and France. Eastern and northern European countries suffered from the fault of their neighbors.
As big a problem as acid rain is, global warming is even bigger. Global warming is the warming of the Earth. The main cause is believed to be greenhouse gases. One of the gases classified as a greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide. It’s a gas that animals need to live, and it’s important for plants to get nutrients through photosynthesis. However, it’s also a gas that becomes a problem when it becomes excessive. Carbon dioxide emissions are often caused by the consumption of coal and oil. Since the main component of coal and oil is carbon, combustion produces carbon dioxide. According to the National Climatic Data Center, the average annual global temperature is the highest it has ever been on record. This global warming is currently increasing the amount of glacier melt. Glaciers normally melt in the summer and freeze in the winter, but global warming is causing the amount of melting to be greater, making the average less and less. This causes sea levels to rise, creating a problem of decreasing land area. In particular, rising sea levels pose a serious threat to low-lying countries, which will likely lead to a new wave of refugees.
Fossil energy has been the most important source of energy for humanity. It is the most readily available and efficient, which is why it has been used for nearly three centuries. But its efficiency alone cannot solve all of its problems. We need to find more and more sustainable energy sources and move towards reducing our dependence on fossil energy. But there are two sides to every coin, and for every good thing, there is a bad thing. We’ve ignored that for too long, and today it’s coming back to haunt us, threatening our very survival. It’s time to recognize the problems with fossil energy and start working to solve them now.
