OVERVIEW OF FOSSIL FUEL AND FUTURE RESERVES

Fossil fuel is defined as fuel obtained from prehistoric organisms. It may be any fuel containing carbon that is derived from decomposed leftovers of plants and animals that have died thousands of years ago. Examples of fossil fuel include:

• ·         Coal,
• ·         Natural gas,
• ·         Petroleum,
• ·         Peat,

Crude oil (unrefined petroleum) has been the major source of oil over the years and being the major source of energy, it has been heavily exploited over the years. Crude oil is used as the source of fuel and energy for powering automobiles, machinery, residential homes and so forth.

The world’s reliance on crude oil comes with great cost. Primarily, oil is a hydrocarbon that contains high amount of carbon, thus when burnt, crude oil gives off carbon dioxide because its carbon content combines with oxygen and therefore, the resultant carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that is a little heavier than air. Moreover, carbon dioxide causes global warming; it is a greenhouse gas. Global warming is one of the major issues faced by our planet and with the incessant burning of oil in automobiles and the projected increase, the world will likely face grave issue of global warming if nothing is done about it.

Furthermore, ozone depletion is a major issue caused by the burning of fossil fuel. The ozone layer is being gradually depleted, causing the amount of ultraviolet radiations reaching the earth to increase. These demerits are indeed grave, but no effective alternative to replacing crude oil has been developed. A lot of novel technologies are propping up as alternatives. However, these technologies are not yet mature to replace crude oil as a source of energy.

Natural gas is also an excellent source of energy, and there is even a higher deposit of natural gas than petroleum, but petroleum is still the dominant source of energy for several reasons. Crude oil accounts for more than 30% of the total energy needs of the world. This figure is above that of natural gas and coal. Crude oil can be refined into various forms such as diesel fuel, gasoline, kerosene and these sources of fuel are quite indispensable in the world today. Studies show that the global reliance on crude oil is not likely to change in the next 30 years.

We the habitats of this word need to think about our environment, future generations and natural blessings of God.