Fossil fuels represent even today the main source of electricity in the energy mix of the U.S. mostly due to the fact that the renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power are intermittent sources of energy.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), in 2018, the energy mix of the U.S. in terms of electricity generation by source, consisted of fossil fuels 63.5% (natural gas 35.1%, coal 27.4%, petroleum 0.6% and other gases 0.3%), nuclear energy 19.3% and renewable energy 17.1% (hydropower, wind, biomass, solar and geothermal).
Even if coal is slowly replaced by the increased consumption of natural gas (coal is dirtier because releases a large amount of harmful emissions compared to natural gas), the fact that fossil fuels are used on a mass scale for energy production, keeps air pollution at very high levels.
Fossil fuels contain a high level of carbon, and this is the reason why these energy sources are releasing large amounts of carbon emissions while burning.
However, among all fossil fuels known today (natural gas, coal and oil), natural gas contains the smallest amount of carbon, and this is the reason why natural gas releases a smaller amount of emissions while burning.
Natural gas is considered an energy source that could help mankind make the transition from an economy based mainly on fossil fuels, to an economy based on low-carbon energy sources (natural gas and nuclear energy along with renewable energy), and before the end of this century, to an economy based 100% on clean and unlimited energy.
Advantages of Fossil Fuels
Despite the fact that fossil fuels are releasing a large amount of greenhouse gas emissions while burning, they have many advantages over the cleaner sources of power available today.
1. Fossil fuels represent reliable sources of energy
Compared to the renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power (which are intermittent), fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas, are considered reliable sources of power because they are abundant and easily available on our planet.
In addition to this, fossil fuels benefit from global distribution (coal), they are transportable by pipelines (oil), and some of them are cleaner (natural gas produces less CO2 when burning compared to other fossil fuels).
2. Fossil fuels are important for the global economy
Coal has the highest reserves among all fossil fuels (if we keep the current level of consumption, coal reserves are enough for at least another two centuries), and was formed millions of years ago from the plants that lived and died on land, and were subjected to high levels of pressure and heat in the underground rock.
Oil and natural gas were also formed millions of years ago from the aquatic phytoplankton and zooplankton that died and sedimented in large quantities on the bottom of the seas and were subjected to a high level of heat and pressure in the underground layers of rock producing petroleum and natural gas through anaerobic decomposition.
The use of coal as fuel predates the known history, while the commercial exploitation of petroleum began only in 1854 with the construction of the world’s first modern oil well.
Natural gas is considered a low-carbon energy source
At the beginning, natural gas was considered an unwanted product, so it was flared-off during the petroleum production.
Today, natural gas is considered very important because is a fossil fuel that burns cleaner than other fossil fuels, and represents the main source of helium and one of the sources of hydrogen for the industry.
Mankind’s progress in the last centuries was mainly powered by fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas.
However, giving the fact that the environment is very affected by our massive use of fossil fuels for energy, heat and fuel production, we need to slowly reduce the use of these reliable but dirty sources of power, and start to massively invest to increase the generation capacity for renewable energy.
We also need to develop an improve the technology used for energy storage, and unleash the limitless source of clean power generated by the nuclear fusion reaction.
3. Fossil fuels have high energy density
Despite of being responsible for the massive air, water and soil pollution on the planet, fossil fuels have high energy density over other energy sources, and this is the reason why we use them to generate electricity in power plants, to heat our homes and businesses, and to power the transportation sector.
Compared to coal and oil that contain mostly carbon, natural gas has the highest energy density among all fossil fuels, mostly due to the presence of the hydrogen atoms in its molecule.
Energy density of fossil fuels.
4. Fossil fuels have a variety of applications
From electricity, heat production and transport fuels fossil fuels are also used to make a variety of common products such as plastics, cosmetics, building materials and even some medicines.
Fossil fuels were the energy sources that powered the industrial revolution, the evolution of mankind in the last centuries, and also the today’s society.
Disadvantages of Fossil Fuels
Fossil Fuels have many disadvantages compared to the green energy sources of the future.
1. Fossil fuels represent limited resources
Fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas are considered non-renewable sources of energy due to the fact that the reserves are limited because they require millions of years to form new reserves.
The fossil fuel reserves are consumed today at an accelerated rate (for electricity, heat and fuels production) due to the expansion of our society, but these reserves will not be replenished in a human lifetime.
This is the reason why we need to massively invest in increasing the generation capacity for renewable energy, and improve the technology used for energy storage.
2. Fossil fuels release the largest amount of greenhouse gas emissions
Burning fossil fuels for electricity generation in thermal power plants, using fossil fuels as heating and cooking fuel, and oil-based fuels to power our vehicles produces a very large amount of carbon emissions and other harmful gases, which cause both climate change and human health issues.
Due to the high level of carbon in their molecule, oil and coal are producing acid rains, carbon dioxide also acidifies the oceans, which destroys the corals.
The massive use of coal in the industry sector and for residential heating during the winter leads to smog, which affects a very large number of people living in a few major cities of China and India.
3. Oil spills destroy habitats, animals and plants
Sadly, oil spills are a common thing even in the XXIst century, which shows that in order to avoid such catastrophic events (accidents or man-made) we need to stop transporting oil and petroleum products in pipes and over the seas.
If the transportation sector will slowly become entirely electric, I’m sure that petroleum will no longer be used to produce fuels, so oil spills will become only a sad history in the evolution of mankind.
4. Fossil fuels can be dangerous for us and the environment
Gasoline (a petroleum-based fuel) is highly flammable, and this is the reason why we need to be very careful when fueling the vehicle in the gas station.
A gasoline spill in the gas station can produce a massive fire and even deadly explosions of the gasoline pumps and tanks, which could kill people and cause major destruction.
Natural gas is another highly flammable fuel that could cause major explosions in case of a leak in enclosed spaces without ventilation.
Natural gas leaks occur pretty often because methane is widely used in residential areas for cooking and heating, and some of these leaks lead to massive explosions that could destroy the property, the neighboring homes and can even kill people.
5. Coal mines are very dirty and unpleasant places for workers
Due to the fact that coal is an extremely dirty source of energy, coal mines are not only dirty, but also dangerous for the people working there and the surrounding environment.
Coal mines tend to track gas and explode if there is an undetected gas accumulation inside.
Once coal is processed, what remains is the slag, and the mountains of slag can slide down hill and kill people living in the valleys below.
Coal is worse than nuclear because the amounts of nuclear waste produced and disposed in safe conditions every year are producing way less damage to people and the environment compared to the massive air pollution produced by coal and causing premature deaths every year.
Final thought
Fossil fuels are slowly being replaced by renewable energy, and this is a good thing because this way the environment will have time to recover.
The young generation learns in school how to protect the environment and stop pollution, and this increased respect for nature combined with an energy mix consisting of 100% renewable energy will create a very healthy environment for the future generations.
