Fossil Fuel Essays (Examples)

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Fossil Fuels & Their Impact on the Environment
Impact of Fossil Fuels on Environment

Fossil fuels are formed by anaerobic decomposition of organisms over a period of millions of years. When burnt, they produce significant amounts of energy per unit weight and cannot be reused to supply energy. They are thus nonrenewable resources. The applications of fossil fuels range from use in motor vehicles, trains and industries to household consumption in stoves and lamps. Their huge popularity means that any hindrance in their use or harmful effects caused by them is bound to affect the masses significantly.

Traditionally, developing nations had a minute share in the world's fossil fuel resources, however with an increase in industrialization and urbanization the need for fossil fuels as an energy source becomes essential. India serves as an ideal example. To cater to the increased demand of oil and gas from industries the government is increasing its import….

By studying this history, one can quickly understand fossil fuels are in such short supply. Although they have been around for millions of years, they have been in use for thousands.
Fossil Fuels' Uses

While it is common knowledge that fossil fuels are used as energy sources and in a variety of material productions, the degree to which fossil fuels are used on a daily basis is monumental. Both oil and natural gas are used widely as agents to heat homes and businesses worldwide. efined oil can be turned into gasoline and diesel, the fuels that power automobiles and are responsible for the functioning of the transportation industry. Furthermore, fuels for larger commercial vehicles -- like jet fuel -- are also produced from refined oil. The cessation of fossil fuel refining, therefore, would be a blow of extreme proportions to the entire world. Economies would be devastated and individual lives adversely….


Ending The Nation's Dependence on Fossil Fuels

There are many options available for reducing the nation's dependence on fossil fuels. From the use of biofuel subsidies to foster research & development (&D) of new fuel forms and technologies to use them (Ngo, 2008) to more effective energy policies that use natural gas, the U.S.' greatest natural resource (Bang, 2010), options abound. What is needed is a concerted, focused energy policy that concentrates on national security while lessening the impact of these fuels on the environment (Migone, 2007). Only by taking this course of action, can the U.S. And other westernized nation so dependent on fossil fuels break their dependence on them. In addition to all these approaches, there needs to be much more aggressive &D and tax credits given to companies to create clean-burning fuel technologies at costs that are affordable. The development of entirely new approaches to managing existing energy….

The currently used batteries in electric cars are usually the lead-acid type, which are heavy and bulky. A lead-acid battery pack in a typical electric car weighs about 1000 pounds or more; it also occupies a large space as about 50 batteries each of size 6" x 8" x 6" are required for a single car (Brain, 2006). They are also expensive as a typical lead-acid battery pack for an electric car costs about $2,000. Moreover, batteries get discharged quickly and give only about a 50-mile range to a car, after which the battery-pack has to be re-charged. The re-charging process is also time-consuming and it takes between 4 to 10 hours for full charge, depending on the battery technology and the charger (Ibid). Such batteries also have a relatively short life and have to be replaced in about three to four years.
ecent development in battery technology has now….

Fossil Fuels Have Been a
PAGES 9 WORDS 2764

These continued high fossil fuel prices has made development and production of alternative fuels, like biofuels, a cost-effective alternative.
Another economic factor that has resulted in biofuel being a popular choice of alternative fuels, is the infrastructure it utilizes. Unlike other possible alternative fuels, like hydrogen, biofuel can, for the most part, use the existing distribution and retailing infrastructure already in place for traditional petroleum fuels (Mol, 2007). it's not surprising that biofuel use has grown so quickly, given this economic head start, in addition to the other economic benefits for farmers and rural communities.

Social Benefits and Concerns of Using Alternative Fuel Sources:

In America, the transportation sector, in particular, is heavily dependent on fossil fuel. This reliance raises national security concerns, as nearly 60% of the crude oil used in America is imported (Archer, Self, Guha, and Engelken, 2008). This dependence on oil from other nations has resulted in political….

Fossil fuels comprise coal, natural gas, and oil, which are formed over time from the remains of living organisms. Most of the world’s energy needs are supplied from fossil fuels but fossil fuels come at a price. Fossil fuels are the main source of global warming emissions in the world. Shindell and Smith (2019) posits "The combustion of fossil fuels produces emissions of the long-lived greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and short-lived pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, that contribute to the formation of atmospheric aerosols." Not only do fossil fuels contribute towards global warming they also cause health problems, release toxins such as mercury, and destroy our wild places. The overall impact of fossil fuels is far greater when compared to any other source of energy. The world has relied solely on fossil fuels for a pretty long time and this has resulted in people believing there is no alternative. However, with….

Capturing and Storing Energy: From Fossil Fuels to enewable esources
One of the most interesting challenges in energy production is not how to find energy sources, which are abundant, but how to capture and store the energy that is available. For years, energy capture and storage has focused on the availability of fossil fuels and how those resources could be translated into usable energy sources. However, the demand for energy is so incredible and the known fossil fuel energy reserves sufficiently limited that the United States must explore alternative energy sources. Moreover, the United States is not the only country that is hampered, politically, economically, and socially by its energy dependence; instead many countries, especially those that lack relative wealth or access to their own fossil fuel deposits are in even more vulnerable positions. Fortunately, there are viable alternatives to fossil fuels that countries can explore. Hydropower, wind power, solar power,….

Business
Nuclear power, under current conditions, is characterized by much lower regular emissions compared to energy from fossil fuel burning. But, it poses its own unique hazards, of which the most notable is risk of industrial accidents (e.g. Chernobyl) that have acute, long-term repercussions over huge areas. There are also security risks presented by vast inventories of materials that have the potential of being utilized as nuclear weapons; fossil fuels pose no risk of this sort. Evidently, both fossil fuels and nuclear energy aren't, at present, favorable for sound security and environmental policy. Furthermore, neither renewables nor breeder reactors (the two alternatives for unlimited supply of energy) are cost-efficient at existing fuel rates for immediately becoming the base of worldwide supply of energy. What, then, are the alternatives available for an ecological, safe, and sustainable future energy supply? If one can reduce fossil fuel consumption and burn biomass renewably for lowering….

Energy of the Future
There is no doubt that petroleum and coal are the dominant energy sources of today. However, there is also no doubt that those two energy sources really need to fall by the wayside given how they pollute the earth and how they are ostensibly affecting the entire global climate in the form of greenhouse gases and the like. However, actively and completely replacing those two energy sources (and this ignores that petroleum is used for many other things besides energy) is easier said than done and no single energy source has shown itself to be a replacement for coal or petroleum, at least not yet. However, that day will and must come as those energy sources are finite and polluting of our environment. hile it is important to shift away from petroleum and coal, it must be done in a way that is organic and does not….

Compare and Contrast ArticlesThe United States has long been a leading nation in energy consumption, with demand only increasing as the years go on. As such, energy policy is a hotly contested topic, with there being a wide range of opinions on the best way to move forward. This paper will be comparing and contrasting two articles that take opposing views on energy policy in the United States. The first article, titled \\\"The Reason Renewables Can\\\'t Power Modern Civilization Is Because They ere Never Meant To\\\", was written by Michael Shellenberger and by Forbes in 2019. In it, the author makes the case that renewable energy is expensive, unreliable, and often requires subsidies from taxpayersand, ultimately, that renewables were never meant to provide all the energy for an industrialized nation like the US. In the second article, titled Should e Burn More Fossil Fuels, Not Less? by Suhaas Bhat and….

Economics of Energy and Fossil Fuels 1. A scratch-off card has no actual revenue collection mechanism that I can think of . Using them to tell somebody how much they have to pay also makes little sense. Both company and client would prefer to have certainty over the monthly billing.
2. Poland and Czech Republic have expressed concerns about Germany's decision to power down its nuclear plants. They had initially felt upbeat about the idea of selling more power to Germany as that country becomes a net importer. However, these concerns were matched by concerns that Germans would be willing (and able) to pay more for Czech and Polish power than the locals would be. This, combined with increased demand from Germany, would create a situation where local prices for energy would rise as locals would be forced to compete for their own domestic power supply (Buchan, 2012).
3. One should presume that….


In the drive to discover new fuels and cheaper alternatives to driving the fact of the matter is that roads will still have to be maintained, and if the consumer is purchasing less fuel by driving fuel efficient cars, then other taxes will have to be raised or implemented to pay for the roads.

A recent study concluded that "more efficient cars and trucks still take up space on the highways and wear them out. Growth will require more highway capacity. Since we finance transportation primarily through dedicated taxes, these need to be ample enough to support these needs" (Petersen, 2007, p. 66). The taxes seen in America are not as high as the ones imposed on the European consumer.

One study showed that "European fuel costs are double those in the U.S. " (Winter, 2007, p. 5). The higher fuel costs there provides the European consumer with incentives not necessarily found….

Fuel Cell the Study Focuses
PAGES 15 WORDS 4499


Different Fuel Cell Technologies

U.S Department of Energy (2010) provides the description of different fuel cell technologies. The fuel cell technologies are differentiated according to their efficiency, operating temperatures, costs and application. The classifications are based on 6 major groups:

Alkaline fuel cell (AFC),

Phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC),

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC),

Molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC),

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC);

Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC).

Alkaline fuel cell (AFC)

The AFC generates electrical power using alkaline electrolyte KOH (potassium hydroxide) in water-based solution. The presence of hydroxyl ions within the electrolyte allows a circuit to extract electric energy. The illustration in Fig 2 reveals an alkaline fuel cell. As being revealed in Fig 2, two hydrogen gas molecules combines with 4 hydroxyl ions have a negative charge to release 4 electrons and 4 water molecules. The equation 4 reveals the reaction of oxidation that takes place. (Mark, 2003).

Equation (4)

(Oxidation) 2H2 + 4OH H2O +….

Fuel Cell Technology
There are over 600 million motor vehicles in the world today. If present trends continue, the number of cars on Earth will double in the next 30 years." ("Cars Emit")

As the demand for energy increase and resources, such as fossil fuel, decrease alternative must be sought. Of these alternatives, hydrogen fuel cell technology, in automotive applications, has significant benefits and is now technologically feasible. Given this knowledge, it is imperative that we begin to set up the infrastructure necessary to utilize this technology.

I have studied this topic over the last three years, and the advancement of the technology has become increasingly exciting. hat was once a dream is now a reality.

I'm going to provide you first with an overview of how fuel cells work and then describe for you the benefits of the use of fuel cells, including why hydrogen is the best choice. And, in the….

There are certain algae that produce hydrogen as a waste byproduct, and the cultivation of such algae and collection of their hydrogen emissions has so far proven somewhat successful (AE 2009). Continued refinement of this process and a bolstering of its efficiency could lead to commercially and industrially viable production levels. There are also methods for extracting hydrogen from waste materials that makes use at least partially of the natural breakdown of these materials; though energy is used in this decomposition, it is not energy transformed and applied at human expense, eliminating its strain on the system (AE 2009). Complex new storage mechanisms are also making the concept of hydrogen fuel cells in cars more viable (U.S. Dept. Of Energy 2009). There have been several major test projects involving hydrogen-powered vehicles in land, air, and sea, including the use of drone spy planes by the U.S. military, municipality waste….

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6 Pages
Essay

Energy

Fossil Fuels & Their Impact on the

Words: 2107
Length: 6 Pages
Type: Essay

Fossil Fuels & Their Impact on the Environment Impact of Fossil Fuels on Environment Fossil fuels are formed by anaerobic decomposition of organisms over a period of millions of years. When…

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10 Pages
Thesis

Energy

Fossil Fuels - An Exploration

Words: 3278
Length: 10 Pages
Type: Thesis

By studying this history, one can quickly understand fossil fuels are in such short supply. Although they have been around for millions of years, they have been in…

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2 Pages
Essay

Energy

Fossil Fuels Mismanaging Fossil Fuels

Words: 681
Length: 2 Pages
Type: Essay

Ending The Nation's Dependence on Fossil Fuels There are many options available for reducing the nation's dependence on fossil fuels. From the use of biofuel subsidies to foster research &…

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2 Pages
Term Paper

Transportation

Fossil Fuel Vehicles Will Last

Words: 725
Length: 2 Pages
Type: Term Paper

The currently used batteries in electric cars are usually the lead-acid type, which are heavy and bulky. A lead-acid battery pack in a typical electric car weighs about…

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9 Pages
Literature Review

Energy

Fossil Fuels Have Been a

Words: 2764
Length: 9 Pages
Type: Literature Review

These continued high fossil fuel prices has made development and production of alternative fuels, like biofuels, a cost-effective alternative. Another economic factor that has resulted in biofuel being a…

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4 Pages
Essay

Environmental Science

Fossil Fuels Damage the Environment

Words: 1308
Length: 4 Pages
Type: Essay

Fossil fuels comprise coal, natural gas, and oil, which are formed over time from the remains of living organisms. Most of the world’s energy needs are supplied from fossil…

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8 Pages
Research Proposal

Energy

Capturing and Storing Energy From Fossil Fuels

Words: 2697
Length: 8 Pages
Type: Research Proposal

Capturing and Storing Energy: From Fossil Fuels to enewable esources One of the most interesting challenges in energy production is not how to find energy sources, which are abundant, but…

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12 Pages
Term Paper

Genetics

Why Fossil Fuel Is Preferably to Nuclear Fuel

Words: 3705
Length: 12 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Business Nuclear power, under current conditions, is characterized by much lower regular emissions compared to energy from fossil fuel burning. But, it poses its own unique hazards, of which the…

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4 Pages
Essay

Family and Marriage

Getting Rid of Fossil Fuels

Words: 1139
Length: 4 Pages
Type: Essay

Energy of the Future There is no doubt that petroleum and coal are the dominant energy sources of today. However, there is also no doubt that those two energy sources…

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4 Pages
Essay

Environmental Science

Why Fossil Fuels are More Dependable than Renewables

Words: 1233
Length: 4 Pages
Type: Essay

Compare and Contrast ArticlesThe United States has long been a leading nation in energy consumption, with demand only increasing as the years go on. As such, energy policy is…

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1 Pages
Essay

Energy

The economics of fossil fuels

Words: 406
Length: 1 Pages
Type: Essay

Economics of Energy and Fossil Fuels 1. A scratch-off card has no actual revenue collection mechanism that I can think of . Using them to tell somebody how much they…

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3 Pages
Term Paper

Energy

Fuel Tax the United States

Words: 862
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Term Paper

In the drive to discover new fuels and cheaper alternatives to driving the fact of the matter is that roads will still have to be maintained, and if the…

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15 Pages
Term Paper

Energy

Fuel Cell the Study Focuses

Words: 4499
Length: 15 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Different Fuel Cell Technologies U.S Department of Energy (2010) provides the description of different fuel cell technologies. The fuel cell technologies are differentiated according to their efficiency, operating temperatures, costs…

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3 Pages
Term Paper

Energy

Fuel Cell Technology There Are Over 600

Words: 935
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Fuel Cell Technology There are over 600 million motor vehicles in the world today. If present trends continue, the number of cars on Earth will double in the next…

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2 Pages
Thesis

Energy

Hydrogen Fuel as a Possible

Words: 613
Length: 2 Pages
Type: Thesis

There are certain algae that produce hydrogen as a waste byproduct, and the cultivation of such algae and collection of their hydrogen emissions has so far proven somewhat…

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