Fossil fuel is an energy-providing material formed from the long-dead remains of living things. Fossil fuels include coal, natural gas, and petroleum. Manufacturers use chemicals from fossil fuels to make many products, including plastics, steel, and agricultural fertilizers. The gasoline in cars comes from petroleum. Natural gas provides heat for homes. Many power plants burn coal to create electric power. Fossil fuels provide a tremendous amount of energy. In fact, most of the energy modern people use comes from burning fossil fuels.
Formation.
Geologists believe fossil fuels come from living things that died millions of years ago. The remains eventually became buried with layers of sand and mud. Over time, the weight of these layers pressed down on the remains. The resulting pressure and heat, along with other natural processes, transformed the remains into the various fossil fuels.
Concerns.
There is a limited amount of fossil fuels. In addition, fossil fuels are formed by processes that take millions of years. As a result, fossil fuels are considered nonrenewable resources—that is, resources that cannot be replaced. Developed and developing countries use vast amounts of energy, rapidly depleting the supply of fossil fuels. Society’s dependence on fossil fuels has been blamed for global economic problems and wars.
Burning fossil fuels also causes environmental problems, including air pollution and acid rain. Such burning also releases large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The gases trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere, contributing to global warming.
See also Coal; Gas; Global warming; Petroleum.
