fossil fuel

Examples of fossil fuel in the following topics:

• Environmental Problems Associated with Fossil Fuel Use

  • One of the major environmental problems associated with fossil fuel use is global warming.
  • One of the biggest environmental problems associated with fossil fuel use is global warming, which is the rise in the average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans since the late 19th century.
  • This warning of the climate system is unequivocal, and scientists are now more than 90% certain that it is primarily caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities such as deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels.

• Present Sources of Energy

  • Present sources of energy include fossil fuels, various types of renewable energy, and nuclear power.
  • The estimates for remaining non-renewable worldwide energy resources vary; the remaining fossil fuels total an estimated 0.4 YJ (1 YJ = yottajoule, or 1024 J) and the the energy available from nuclear fuels such as uranium exceeds 2.5 YJ.
  • As of 2010, use of fossil fuels as an energy source comprised over 80% of total energy consumed.
  • The growth of oil as the largest fossil fuel was further enabled by steadily dropping prices from 1920 until 1973.
  • Fossil fuels remain our primary source of energy.

• Energy Consumption

  • Consumption of fossil fuel resources has led to global warming and climate change.
  • If we reach (or have already reached) a maximum rate of petroleum extraction, then fossil fuels will no longer be a viable source of energy.
  • The majority of greenhouse gas emissions are due to burning fossil fuels, while some is due to deforestation.
  • It was estimated in the study that these external downstream fossil fuel costs amount up to 1%-2% of the EU's entire gross domestic product (GDP); this was before the external cost of global warming from these sources was even included.
  • Wind turbines provide a green source of alternative energy, as opposed to the burning of fossil fuels which contributes to climate change.

• The Hydrogen Economy

  • The hydrogen economy refers to using hydrogen as the next important source of fuel.
  • The feasibility of a hydrogen economy depends on issues including the use of fossil fuel, the generation of sustainable energy, and energy sourcing.
  • Other ways of producing hydrogen from fossil fuels include partial oxidation and plasma reforming.
  • The main source of hydrogen is fossil fuel reforming, but this method ultimately leads to higher emissions of carbon dioxide than using the fossil fuel in an internal combustion engine.
  • The hydrogen economy could possibly revolutionize the current energy infrastructure by transferring fuel demands from fossil fuels onto hydrogen.

• The Greenhouse Effect

  • Human activities have increased greenhouse gas concentrations n the atmosphere through the combustion of fossil fuels, release of methane from farms, industrial emissions, and deforestation.

• Nuclear Reactors

  • The reactors use nuclear fuel, most commonly uranium-235 and plutonium-239.
  • The amount of free energy in nuclear fuels is far greater than the energy in a similar amount of other fuels such as gasoline.
  • In many countries, nuclear power is seen as an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels, which are non-renewable and release large amounts of greenhouse gases.
  • Just as many conventional thermal power stations generate electricity by harnessing the thermal energy released from burning fossil fuels, nuclear power plants convert the energy released from nuclear fission.

• Photochemical Smog

  • While air pollution caused by burning coal has become less common, the combustion of fossil fuels continues to affect air quality.

• Fusion Reactors

  • This is similar to the process used in fossil fuel and nuclear fission power stations.
  • Therefore, hydrogen, which has the smallest nuclear charge, fuses at the lowest temperature, and is often used as fuel.
  • The choice of fuel for a fusion reactor is dictated by a term called the Lawson criterion.
  • Consequently, the deuterium-tritium fuel cycle requires the breeding of tritium from lithium using one of the following reactions:

• New Energy Sources

  • Brazil has one of the largest renewable energy programs in the world, involving production of ethanol fuel from sugarcane.
  • Ethanol now provides 18% of the country's automotive fuel.
  • Ethanol fuel is also widely available in the USA.
  • Carbon neutral and negative fuels can be stored and transported through existing natural gas pipelines.
  • Using the existing transportation infrastructure, thereby displacing fossil fuels, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• Fuel Cells

  • A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from fuel into electricity via a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent.
  • William Grove developed the first crude fuel cells in 1839.
  • Fuel cells are classified by the electrolyte they use, which is the main difference among the various types of fuel cells.
  • Other types of fuel cells don't face this problem.
  • Fuel cells convert the chemical energy from fuel into electricity via a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent.