A fossil fuel is a non-renewable resource that is formed from the buried remains of the plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. The three fossil fuels that I will be focusing on are coal, oil, and natural gas.
Coal:
Coal is formed from the decomposition of organic materials. There are many positive and negative results from using coal.
Positive-
Coal produces energy for our homes, it is very inexpensive, provides jobs for people in the bad economy, it makes money for the country, and it is very consentrated. When I say it is consentrated I mean that a very little amount of coal can produce large amounts of energy.
Negative-
Coal has just as many negative affects as it does positive. When coal is burned, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury compounds are released, as well as mercury being trapped inside of the coal. Water is needed to help purify the coal. When rain falls on the coal, however, the water runs off into the piles and flushes the heavy metals like lead and arsenic from the coal and the rain/ water is used to remove any impurities in the coal. Water near a coil mining location can become contaminated, and in return kill the animals and fish that drink and live in the water. Soil near coil-fired plants can become contaminated as well.
Coal Resources:
Oil:
Oil is found in undergruond reservoirs and is regulated by the state and federal government.
Positive-
Oil can provide many jobs, energy for homes, cars, and mobiles, and it makes money for the country.
Negative-
Even though oil provides positive affects on the economy, it provides many negative affects to the environment. When the oil-fired plants burn oil, large bodies of water are used and dangerous gases such as methane, mercury compounds, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxides are released into the air. When the plants are built, they can destroy habitats of plants and animals in the area and the waste from the plant can cause land contamination if not properly disposed of. Oil refineries release the treated waste water, which contains pollutents and is normally put in streams. At the refineries, crude oil is removed. Crude oil is made up of sulfur, metals, and nitrogen. Lastly, drilling for oil can cause any underground water supplies to become contaminated.
Oil Consumption: In order of amount per country (found on Nation Master)
Location
Amount of Consumption
United States
18,690,000 bbl/day
China
8,200,000 bbl/day
Japan
4,363,000 bbl/day
India
2,980,000 bbl/day
Russia
2,740,000 bbl/day
Brazil
2,460,000 bbl/day
All About Oil Spills- This page has extra information about Oil in general and the Oil Spills.
Natural Gas:
Natural gas is formed when layers of buried animals and plants are exposed to intense heat and pressure over the course of thousands and millions of years. The removal of natural gas is regulated by the state and federal government.
Positive-
Natural gas extraction provides jobs for people and provides energy for the population to use.
Negative-
Even though natural gas provides positives for the people, it is just like oil- there are negative affects on the environment. The extraction of natural gas and the building of natural gas power plants is used by drilling, destroys the natural habitats of animals and plants, erosion, landslides, and the loss of soil productivity. The burning of natural gas produces nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide, and methane. The methane in natural gas is the primary component and can be emitted if the gas isn't burned completely.
Natural Gas Consumption: In order of amount per Country (found on Nation Master)
Location
Amount of Consumption
United States
646,600,000,000 cubic meters
Russia
439,600,000,000 cubic meters
Iran
140,000,000,000 cubic meters
Germany
96,260,000,000 cubic meters
Japan
94,670,000,000 cubic meters
Canada
94,620,000,000 cubic meters
Click the graph to visit the site it is found on! :)
Introduction:
A fossil fuel is a non-renewable resource that is formed from the buried remains of the plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. The three fossil fuels that I will be focusing on are coal, oil, and natural gas.Coal:
Coal is formed from the decomposition of organic materials. There are many positive and negative results from using coal.Positive-
Coal produces energy for our homes, it is very inexpensive, provides jobs for people in the bad economy, it makes money for the country, and it is very consentrated. When I say it is consentrated I mean that a very little amount of coal can produce large amounts of energy.Negative-
Coal has just as many negative affects as it does positive. When coal is burned, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury compounds are released, as well as mercury being trapped inside of the coal. Water is needed to help purify the coal. When rain falls on the coal, however, the water runs off into the piles and flushes the heavy metals like lead and arsenic from the coal and the rain/ water is used to remove any impurities in the coal. Water near a coil mining location can become contaminated, and in return kill the animals and fish that drink and live in the water. Soil near coil-fired plants can become contaminated as well.Coal Resources:
Oil:
Oil is found in undergruond reservoirs and is regulated by the state and federal government.Positive-
Oil can provide many jobs, energy for homes, cars, and mobiles, and it makes money for the country.Negative-
Even though oil provides positive affects on the economy, it provides many negative affects to the environment. When the oil-fired plants burn oil, large bodies of water are used and dangerous gases such as methane, mercury compounds, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxides are released into the air. When the plants are built, they can destroy habitats of plants and animals in the area and the waste from the plant can cause land contamination if not properly disposed of. Oil refineries release the treated waste water, which contains pollutents and is normally put in streams. At the refineries, crude oil is removed. Crude oil is made up of sulfur, metals, and nitrogen. Lastly, drilling for oil can cause any underground water supplies to become contaminated.Oil Consumption: In order of amount per country (found on Nation Master)
All About Oil Spills- This page has extra information about Oil in general and the Oil Spills.
Natural Gas:
Natural gas is formed when layers of buried animals and plants are exposed to intense heat and pressure over the course of thousands and millions of years. The removal of natural gas is regulated by the state and federal government.Positive-
Natural gas extraction provides jobs for people and provides energy for the population to use.Negative-
Even though natural gas provides positives for the people, it is just like oil- there are negative affects on the environment. The extraction of natural gas and the building of natural gas power plants is used by drilling, destroys the natural habitats of animals and plants, erosion, landslides, and the loss of soil productivity. The burning of natural gas produces nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide, and methane. The methane in natural gas is the primary component and can be emitted if the gas isn't burned completely.Natural Gas Consumption: In order of amount per Country (found on Nation Master)