Did you know that fossil fuels created more than eighty percent of the world’s energy in 2019?
Even though leaders from around the planet vow to transition from using fossil fuels to using clean energy, the majority of countries still rely on coal, natural gas, and oil.
Since there are benefits to using fossil fuels, some people say that it makes sense to continue using them. Others argue that they are damaging the planet.
We have created a guide to help you understand the pros and cons of fossil fuels. Keep reading if you want to find out more.
What Are Fossil Fuels?
Ancient organisms that lived many millions of years ago eventually perished. After being exposed to intense heat and pressure, their bodies decomposed. Over time, they turned into fossil fuels.
These sources of energy exist underneath the earth’s surface. They consist of carbon and hydrogen and include substances such as natural gas, oil, and coal. Several centuries ago, humans realized that they could burn these in order to produce energy.
Before humans started using fossil fuels to produce energy, they made use of energy sources that were much simpler, such as human and animal strength. They also burned organic matter to produce heat.
After people realized that they could use fossil fuels to create usable energy, they started creating inventions that were capable of using these fuels for the purposes of things like transportation, heating, lighting, and manufacturing.
Here are some of the most important kinds of fossil fuels.
Coal
It takes millions of years for coal to form. It consists of rocks and soil deposits that transform after they are subjected to pressure and heat. Coal is the most abundant type of fossil fuel that exists.
Oil
Oil consists of various microorganisms that accumulated on ocean floors over the course of millions of years. Oil companies create huge drilling platforms to extract oil from below the ocean floor.
This is the most extensively used fossil fuel. It powers airplanes, automobiles, and trains. People also use oil to create plastic.
Natural Gas
Natural gas is a much younger fuel source than oil or coal. Until recently, people used more coal than natural gas, but this is quickly changing.
Natural gas contains methane, which has around eighty times the warming power of carbon dioxide, which humans create by burning coal and oil.
Thankfully, natural gas only stays in the atmosphere for several decades. Carbon dioxide will remain in the atmosphere for many hundreds of years.
Advantages of Fossil Fuels
Modern human industries such as agriculture and manufacturing currently depend on fossil fuels in order to function. Here are some of the pros of using fossil fuels.
Fossil Fuels Are Easy to Find and Cheap to Use
Compared to alternative energy sources, it is cheaper to use them. It is also easier to source and burn them. There used to be a large supply of fossil fuels. But this is changing since people are quickly depleting them.
Since humans have been using fossil fuels for many centuries, the infrastructure for accessing, processing, and transporting them is dependable and efficient.
Reliability and Compatibility
Even though fewer fossil fuels exist than there were in the past, there are still significant oil and gas resources in existence. People are also getting better at mining and extracting these resources from below the surface of the earth.
People rely on fossil fuels because the devices and tools they use were built to be powered by them.
It is expensive to create new power plants that are powered by wind and solar. This is why some people believe it’s a better idea to continue using existing power plants that burn fossil fuels, despite the fact that these plants are emitting harmful greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.
Since it will require a lot of effort and financial investment to transition from burning fossil fuels to generating energy with wind and solar, fossil fuel proponents argue that it’s a good idea to continue using them.
Disadvantages of Using Fossil Fuels
Many younger people tend to recognize the many negative effects of fossil fuels. Green energy advocates argue that humans are destroying the planet by using them. Here are the reasons why it’s time to stop burning fossil fuels.
Fossil Fuels Are Non-Renewable
If humans continue to burn fossil fuels, they will become exhausted. Experts think that it won’t be possible to burn them for more than fifty more years before they are depleted.
By continuing to burn fossil fuels, humans will be damaging the planet. Future generations will struggle to survive, sea levels will rise, and the planet will experience dramatic and damaging climatic shifts.
The Planet Will Warm
Fossil fuels create pollution. If humans continue to release the greenhouse gases that they produce into the atmosphere, they will cause the planet to warm.
There will be many droughts. Extreme weather events will become more common. Millions of people who already live in poverty will be displaced from their homes.
This is why so many people are choosing to start using solar energy to power their homes by hiring companies such as Blue Raven Solar to install solar systems on their properties.
Pros and Cons of Fossil Fuels: The Future of the Planet Should Be Green
If you’ve been wondering “what are the pros and cons of fossil fuels?”, it’s important to recognize the many great reasons to create a future for using green energy.
If you want to find out more about wind and solar energy projects, be sure to check out the Business section of our website.
