Humanity has developed rapidly by relying on fossil energy, but its depletion and climate change are creating an urgent need for sustainable alternatives. We need to use energy efficiently and develop new energy sources to overcome future crises.
Human progress has been accompanied by advances in the quantity and quality of energy we use. Energy is an essential element for human progress. The transformation from a society that relied on the power of people and animals to one that uses fossil energy sources such as coal and oil has allowed humanity to make rapid material progress. The use of energy has revolutionized human life, and with it, social structures and economic systems. Fossil energy accounts for 80% of the energy used in the world today, making it the beating heart of society. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the history of fossil energy, its specific types, and the social and environmental impacts that have contributed to human development.
Fossil energy is divided into three main sources: coal, oil, and natural gas, each of which has had a different impact on human civilization depending on its physical state and how it is used. Coal, a solid form of fossil energy, is divided into lignite, bituminous, and anthracite, and was the first resource to be actively utilized by humans. The use of coal increased dramatically during the 18th and 19th centuries, especially during the Industrial Revolution, which laid the foundation for modern industrial society. At that time, coal was abundant, affordable, and more energy efficient than wood, making it an important energy resource beyond its role as firewood. The thermal energy generated by its combustion made mass production possible, and with the development of the steel industry, humanity’s technological prowess grew by leaps and bounds. However, the large-scale use of coal has led to a variety of environmental problems. The pollutants and soot produced by the burning of coal increased air pollution, which became both the light and the shadow of industrialization.
Liquid petroleum emerged as a viable alternative to coal in 1901 with the discovery of large quantities in Spindletop, Texas. Subsequent discoveries of large-scale oil fields have made oil the most used energy source to date. The discovery of oil and advances in refining technology led to the development of automobiles, aircraft, ships, and other forms of transportation by the mid-20th century, which, coupled with the globalization of the world economy, propelled human civilization forward even faster. Crude oil extracted from the ground is composed of several different hydrocarbons, which are converted through refining into various petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel, and kerosene. These petroleum products are essential resources for almost every aspect of modern society, especially in transportation and industry.
Natural gas, a gaseous fossil energy, was discovered alongside oil and is characterized as a cleaner fuel that emits less carbon dioxide per unit of energy produced than oil. Natural gas is widely used, especially for household energy, and is also playing an increasingly important role in electricity generation. However, because natural gas exists as a gas at room temperature, its storage and transportation present more technical challenges than oil. High-pressure tanks are needed to store the compressed gas, and the infrastructure to do so is essential. For these reasons, natural gas is used in relatively small proportions compared to oil and coal, but demand is growing as environmental concerns increase.
Large oil fields have been discovered since the Spindletop, and its energy efficiency compared to coal and natural gas has made it an essential energy source throughout the 20th century and into the present. Oil has had a major impact on the global economy and politics, creating an international flow of countries competing and cooperating to secure energy resources. Fluctuations in the price of oil in particular have a major impact on the global economy and have caused diplomatic relations and wars between countries. It is estimated that half of petroleum products are consumed for transportation, and the percentage is growing. This, along with the development of the automotive industry, has meant the expansion of transportation infrastructure, enabling the fast and efficient mobility of modern society.
However, despite the fact that oil plays such an important role in our society, we have long recognized that it is a finite resource, but we have not been concerned enough about its depletion. Depletion does not mean that there will be no oil available to us at a certain point in time, but rather that there will be a point in time when there is enough oil for decades, but not enough to get the desired amount. This limitation of oil resources has become one of the reasons why humanity needs to think about the future of energy. Most of the existing giant oil fields have already been discovered, and new fields are often small and difficult to mine economically. As a result, the reserves of newly discovered oil fields are dwindling, indicating that oil depletion is becoming a reality.
In addition, carbon dioxide emissions from the combustion of fossil energy have contributed to global warming. Climate change poses a serious challenge to humanity and requires international cooperation and action. The economic impact of rising sea levels, more frequent hurricanes and droughts, higher rates of infectious diseases, and many other climate-related disasters has been estimated to be in the trillions of dollars over the past century. The effects of climate change are not just limited to natural disasters, but can spread into a systemic problem that threatens human survival. Meteorologists are warning that if carbon dioxide concentrations continue to rise, global catastrophe is inevitable by the end of the 21st century.
We have two solutions to oil’s limitations: improving energy efficiency in existing ways and developing new sources of energy. Improving energy efficiency – reducing energy consumption while making the most of existing infrastructure – is an important short-term solution. Developing new energy sources, on the other hand, is a long-term solution and is essential for humanity to build a sustainable future. New energy sources such as alternative energy are being researched and developed, but there are still many technical and economic challenges to completely replace fossil energy. Nuclear, solar, wind, hydrogen fuel cells, and other alternatives are gaining traction, but they also have limitations.
In many cases, these alternatives cannot fully replace the benefits of traditional fossil energy. For example, solar power can only be generated when the sun is shining, and wind power is highly dependent on the strength of the wind to produce energy. In addition, the upfront costs of installing alternative energy systems are high, making them a financial burden. One of the solutions to the depletion of oil is to build transportation powered by other energy sources instead of petroleum products, as more than 95% of transportation uses petroleum products. Hydrogen and electric vehicles have been proposed as a solution to this problem, but they still face technical constraints and difficulties in building infrastructure. Especially in the case of hydrogen vehicles, it will take a lot of time and investment before the hydrogen production and storage technology becomes commercially viable.
In the previous section, we looked at fossil energy and its impact on humanity, as well as the problems and solutions. While fossil energy has been an important resource for human development, it is reaching its limits. In order to prepare for the depletion of fossil energy and environmental problems, active research and development of alternative energy is necessary, and it will be an important issue that will determine the future of humanity. If fossil energy has driven human progress, it is time for sustainable energy to take charge of human survival.
