Fossil fuel How does fossil fuel affect us and the environment? Mostafa Omran 9B 5/1/12 Biology

What is fossil fuel? There are three major forms of fossil fuels: coal, oil and natural gas. All three were formed many hundreds of millions of years ago before the prehistoric age. Al three are flammable, dangerous and so on. Coal is a rock mineral capable of giving large quantities of energy like fire. They are usually dug up from mountains. Oil, also known as petroleum, is a liquid substance. Only specific oils are flammable. They are found in cave-like pockets hundreds of kilometers underground. Natural gas is the most lethal and flammable source. It is also the most unearthed fossil fuel.

Coal Coal is mined in almost every country. It is one of the primary sources needed for heat and power. The coal mining industries run one of biggest businesses. Science has proven that there is no such thing as “clean coal”. Coal is mainly composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and nitrogen.

Oil Oil is any substance that can’t mix with water but with other oils. There are two types of oils, organic and mineral(petroleum). Only specific oils are flammable. Organic oil is mainly use in food. There are a huge varieties of organic oil such as olive and vegetable. Mineral oil is used in vehicles. Oil drillers are also involved in a huge business. Oil is mainly composed of a complex mixture of carbohydrates, and other organic compounds. After the oil is burned, it breaks the carbohydrate molecules to release carbon and hydrogen.

Natural gas Natural gas is mainly composed of carbohydrate and 20% methane. Carbon and small amounts of methane is released when natural gas is burned, polluting the air. Natural gas is used in ovens and stoves and almost all types of vehicles. It is usually found in coal beds or underground caves. Before natural gas can be used, it must be filtered from any other gases or substances associated with it.

How is it dug out of the ground? Todays methods of mining coal involves heavy machinery. These machines drill a pipe into the ground and pump the oil and natural gas. Coal is mined out of mountains and is taken through a series of railway tunnels. It is then taken by bulldozers to storage trucks and shipped to factories for filtering then packaging. We have dug so much coal that it left large amounts of space throughout the country.

How was it made? As the trees and plants died, they sank to the bottom of the swamps of oceans. They formed layers of a spongy material called peat. Over many hundreds of years, the peat was covered by sand and clay and other minerals, which turned into a type of rock called sedimentary. More and more rock piled on top of more rock, and it weighed more and more. It began to press down on the peat. The peat was squeezed and squeezed until the water came out of it and it eventually, over millions of years, it turned into coal, oil, and natural gas.

How does it give us energy? Coal: coal has a large amount of NOx. NOx can be produced by any gas or oil that burns hot enough. NOx is released during through large tubes in factories that cleanse the coal. In the air, NOx is a pollutant. It can cause smog which leads to acid rain. Thus polluting the air and damaging trees. Oil: Oil is used for food and to power vehicles. While the oil is burning, special machines are extracting the energy given by the oil, pollutants are released during this process. Natural gas: Natural gas is the most used energy source. During usage, the gas releases energy as fire and is then converted to other types of energy such as mechanical energy.

How does it affect us? All fossil fuels hold large various amounts of pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, lead, and sulfur dioxide. These pollutants cause global warming and acid rain. These events lead to the destruction of habitats, crops, and animals. Thus limiting our food supply, and interfering with global climate changes. For example, tornado and hurricane rates have increased leading to more flooding and damage. These weather conditions swept crops from farmers, these events are taking place despite global warming. Warming the planet can cause drought and over evaporation of water leading to more global climates thus destroying more crops and property.

How can we reduce the usage of fossil fuels? One way to reduce the amount of pollution in the air is to: Buy a diesel car. Carpool. Use solar energy. Use the bus or train. Finish your work at home Limit the use of any machine that uses fossil fuels. Turn your lawn into an organic garden. Reduce, recycle and reuse.

Conclusion Well, I guess this is the end since I can’t make up more questions so Good bye