Fossil Energy - A dead end street

Fossil energy, also known as fossil fuels or mineral fuels, are natural resources such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas. They contain hydrocarbon which is important to the petrochemical industry. Fossil energy can be used to produce electricity by burning it to power turbines. Older turbine designs used fossil fuels to produce steam, but modern designs utilize the energy from fossil fuels directly.

Fossil energy, of course, is also used as the major fuel source for automobiles, trucks, and buses. It is believed that burning fossil fuels is the major contributor towards global warming. When fossil energy is used, CO2 is released into the atmosphere where it traps heat from the earth.

Fossil energy is not a clean source of energy, but modern technology is finding ways to use it more efficiently and with less pollution. It is also a finite source of energy and as supplies are used up it becomes more expensive. The rising cost of fossil energy may in fact be beneficial in several ways. It forces us to find more efficient ways to use it, and also opens up new sources of fossil fuels which would otherwise be economically impractical to develop.

Fossil fuels are one of the most important sources of energy for the economy of many nations. On average, 80% of all energy produced in the world is from fossil fuel. It is expected to be an essential energy source for at least the next 20 or 30 years.

Compared with other fossil fuels, natural gas has several benefits. It is abundantly available, relatively clean, and high in energy efficiency. The major disadvantage of natural gas is its difficulty to transport and store; however, many municipalities deliver natural gas through pipelines. It can be used for cooking as well as hot water and residential and commercial heating.

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