Fossil Fuels - An Exploration

Fossil Fuels - an Exploration of a Dying Resource

As fuel prices continue to rise across the world and effects of global warming are already being observed in some degree, the public's need to know about fossil fuels is greater than ever. Most understand that the fuels are non-renewable resources produced during the years of the dinosaurs, but most do not understand the exact dept of their usage and the profound importance of their discontinuation. Fossil fuels were created in a manor so unique that it would be nearly impossible to recreate today. Because they have been around for millions of years, however, people have been using fossil fuels for quite some time, in spite of the fact they are a non-renewable resource. While the use of fossil fuels have a long history, two major problems with the continued use of the fuels exist. First of all, the peak oil theory suggests that oil depletion has begun. Second of all, scientists have proven that the greenhouse gasses associated with global warming are caused by the burning of fossil fuels. For this reason, both the United States and the world have begun using programs to increase alternative fuel use and production. In this article, a discussion of all things fossil-fuels are offered, from an explanation of what fossil fuels are, to a suggestion of alternative fuel programs. Although much about the energy crisis is controversial, one must agree that the use of alternative fuels to replace fossil fuels is important and necessary in today's societies.

Introduction

As November looms closer and closer, many citizens can talk of only one political subject -- an energy crisis. The prices of gasoline and diesel continue to soar well above four dollars in some areas; heating and cooling homes is becoming nearly as expensive as mortgage payments. Even the price of food is bearing the cost, rising as farmers and transporters' cost of production rises. Meanwhile, presidential hopefuls pledge gas tax holidays, domestic drilling, and involvement in the Middle East to solve the problem. Although some might wonder if the current pre-occupation with oil isn't just a political stunt aimed toward motivating voters in November, the problems posed by a thinning oil resivoir are quite real. While researchers and government officials continue to look for new sources of oil, all excavation is done with the smallest glimmer of hope -- oil is a non-renewable resource. Oil is a fossil fuel, a substance formed millions of years ago from the bodies of dead life forms, animals and plants, lying under the pressure of mud that hardened into land. And while oil may be one of the fossil fuels whose absence will be felt most severely, it is not the only fossil fuel, nor is it even the only useful fossil fuel. Two other forms of energy -- coal and natural gas -- are also non-renewable fossil fuels.

Thus, the current discussion regarding the oil crisis is directly related to fossil fuels' status as a non-renewable resource. Similarly, fossil fuels are used often in the production of substances, such as plastics, and in residential heating and cooling. For this reason, the depletion of fossil fuels is a rather serious issue in this contemporary era. In fact, without oil and products such as plastics, today's civilizations would lack a significant amount of technology. In addition to the profound implications for modern technology, fossil fuels also have significant implications for the environment. While they are necessary for energy production, they are also necessary for the greenhouse gas production, and thus global warming. Thus, scientists worldwide search for an alternative fuels because of two concerns with fossil fuel -- peak oil, or the theory that oil production has reached its peak and will now begin a steady decline -- and greenhouse gasses and global warming. By taking a closer look at fossil fuels and their history, their uses, and alternative fuel development programs in both the United States and worldwide, one can have a greater gasp of the importance of fossil fuel reduction.

The Science Behind Fossil Fuels: What Are They

Millions of years ago, when plants and animals died, they were buried under layers of mud that hardened into land and rock. The earth's heat, and pressure from this land slowly caused a chemical conversion, transforming the deceased animals and plants into hydrocarbons, or a compound made of hydrogen and carbon molecules, the primary content of fossil fuels, though some fossil fuels also claim trace amounts of other compounds. Thus, fossil fuels' natural formation process is not that difficult, but the process would be difficult to repeat in the contemporary era. Typically, organic matter does not become buried under extreme amounts of pressure after it is deceased. Instead, the decaying process usually occurs at or near the earth's surface, even if the body is buried traditionally. In order to become pressurized into a fossil fuel, the amount of heat and pressure needed is astronomical. Scientists discovered this by the locations in which they discovered fossil fuels, often lurking in craters or pockets that were quickly filled with earth. In addition, the process takes millions of years, making it nearly impossible to replicate. It is for this reason that fossil fuels are so costly. Oil or petroleum, coal, and natural gas are all forms of fossil fuels, and all three can be refined and/or transported to produce energy, a process, which adds an additional cost to the already expensive fossil fuels. While other fossil fuels exist that are characterized by higher levels of hydrocarbons, most societies refrain from using these fuels because of their even higher cost. Thus, fossil fuels are hydrocarbon-filled substances that have undergone a chemical conversion of millions of years that can be refined to create energy producing substances. Because of the extreme amounts of heat, pressure, and time needed to create fossil fuels, the process is nearly impossible to recreate today, resulting in thinning supplies of fossil fuels that are also characterized by rising prices ("Fossil Fuels" 2008).

The Science Behind Fossil Fuels: Their History substance with a million year-old history, humans have been using fossil fuels since the earliest recorded dates. According to the United States Department of Energy, coal is both the "most plentiful" fossil fuel and the fuel with the "longest" and "most varied" history ("A Brief History of Coal Use" 2008). In fact, as far back as 100-200 a.D., the fuel was being used by the Roman world. Like it was during the industrial revolution, coal was first used by Native Americans in the United States to fuel the tasks of their daily lives, such as cooking and heating. Both the British and American Industrial revolutions, however, sparked the beginning of coal as a household commodity in the Western world. Thus, the saga began -- not only of industrialization, modernization, and a fossil fuel's emergence into mainstream us -- but also of the treacherous history of coal mining and coal mine's employees. Regardless of its literally black history, the use of coal enabled the Western world to understand the power of energy and industrialization ("A Brief History of Coal Use 2008").

Like coal, natural gas has had an extensive history of use since the earliest dates in history. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy reports that Plutarch "eternal fires" of Iraq were most likely descriptions of natural gas set on fire by lightning ("The History of Natural Gas" 2005). Attempts to harness natural gas as a power source first began in 1821, when a New York man drilled a well in order to increase the amount of natural gas to which he had access. Although cities often used natural gas during the 1800s to light their street lamps, transportation severely limited the use of natural gas. Unlike coal and oil, natural gas cannot be harvested and taken to individual locations, but instead must be delivered by a system of pipelines. In the late 1890s, however, those pipelines, which are still used today, were constructed. Using them, many homes are heated by natural gas, and appliances, such as clothes driers, use the fossil fuel for power ("The History of Natural Gas" 2005).

In a similar fashion to coal and natural gas, oil was discovered at a rather early date. But what is now probably the most-used and most sought-after fossil fuel worldwide was first utilized not as a producer of energy, but as a medicine and a construction agent. Its use as wall cement was even referenced in the Bible ("History of Oil Use" 2004). Reports of the Seneca Native Americans using the fuel as a medicine exist, suggesting that the tribe found the oil in a natural springs in Western Pennsylvania. In fact, the first oil well was drilled in this area in 1859 ("History of Oil Use" 2004).

Thus, from the coal that powered some of the Western world's most important industrial developments to the natural gas that still operates many Americans' clothes driers to the oil that once served as a tool of construction, the history of fossil fuels is nearly as old and comprehensive as the fuels themselves. 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. Refined 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 impacted. It is for this reason, that the scope of the problems involving fossil fuels must be fully understood and a series of alternative fuels be developed.

Controversy and Concern: Peak Oil and Greenhouse Gasses

After thousands of years of use, what some considered the never-empty reservoir of fossil fuels is now running dry. This problem is called peak oil, or the peak oil theory, and it suggests that the crucial fact, which scientists do not know, is when the last barrel of oil will be drawn. Discovered by Dr. M. King Hubbert, the concept of Peak Oil maintains that, because oil is a non-renewable resource, it will reach a peak, "which can never be surpassed," after which "production declines until the resource is depleted" ("The Hubbert Peak for World Oil" 2003). While this theory can be applied to any non-renewable resource, it has significant implications for the world's oil supply. As most believe the peak has already been reached, the theory suggests that oil production will follow a principal of diminishing returns, resulting in smaller and smaller amounts of oil produced until none remains. Thus, the Hubbert Peak, or peak oil problem, is not only a problem, but also a problem with rather immediate time considerations.

While the peak oil problem is of concern to the world's population, fossil fuels also create a problem for the world itself -- global warming. In fact, scientists have concluded that it is the use of fossil fuels that is responsible for global warming. Burning fossil fuels release dangerous carbon monoxide into the atmosphere, a gas that has been blamed for the global warming crisis. By using fossil fuels, therefore, the world's population is sealing its fate (O'Driscoll and Vergano 2007).

In light of both the peak oil problem and global warming, therefore, one can conclude that the use of fossil fuels must be abandoned. If they are not, humans will be left without power and few alternatives, and the world will eventually face the dire consequences of global warming.

Fossil Fuel Alternatives and Conservation Programs: Worldwide

While industrialized countries like the United States are vocal in attempting to find a solution to the fossil fuel problems, it is developing countries that are causing most of the problem. In fact, the Wall Street Journal suggests that 90% of the "demand growth" of crude oil will come from developing countries in the next five years (Johnson 2008). Regardless of these less than inspiring numbers that might suggest that richer countries, which have the power to do something about the fossil fuel crises, will be unable to do so, the problem is worldwide and many countries are advancing programs to deal with the issue. In light of peak oil and global warming, most countries have recognized the importance of finding fossil-fuel replacements. For this reason, scientists and governments worldwide are collaborating on the research and development needed to produce alternative sources of energy. For instance Canada's ecoEnergy Efficiency initiative contains programs that attempt to limit Canadians energy use in vehicles, homes, and businesses ("About OEE"). In the same vein, many countries signed the Kyoto Protocol, which aimed to significantly reduce greenhouse gasses.

On the side of alternative fuel research, the United States and Japan have teamed up to undertake research and development regarding alternative fuels ("United States" 2004). And although research and development into alternative fuels is limited, worldwide study into the issue has produced several viable fuels. For instance, Biodiesel is a renewable fuel produced from vegetable oils and animal fat. The fuel is already working in certain blends with fossil fuel components. Ethanol, Hydrogen, natural gas, and propane are all alternative fuels meant to reduce the world's reliance on oil, especially when it comes to transportation ("Alterative Fuels and Advanced Vehicle Data" 2008). Thus, while the issue of fossil fuel replacement may be a worldwide problem, the world is teaming up to solve it. Even though developing countries demand far more oil than industrialized countries, the world has united together in order to decrease energy usage and research alternative fuels.

VII: Fossil Fuel Alternative and Conservation Programs: The United States

Regardless of its status as a worldwide problem, the United States has launched impressive programs in order to increase awareness about the concerns with fossil fuels, and encourage those living within its borders to use alternative fuels. For instance, the Environmental Protection Agency has launched a program that allows states access to renowned tools in launching their own environmental acts. These tools include "benefits models, State implementation Plan Credits, and the Clean Fuels Fleet Program" ("Alternative Fuels" 2008). These state programs are aimed at encouraging alternative fuel use and responsible fossil fuel use. For example, Texas's state energy office issued a Clean City program that operates four "technology elements:" "Fuel blends, fuel economy, hybrids, and idle reduction" ("Alternative Fuel Program 2008). Thus, This transportation-aimed state program combines alternative fuel use with responsible fossil fuel use to target both private and public vehicles. Similar programs exist throughout the fifty states. Based on the popularity and success of the state-wide energy reduction and alternative fuel use initiatives, most would expect the government to continue launching programs to reduce the United States' dependence on fossil fuels as research provides more sustainable methods of doing so. In addition, the research being conducted at United States' universities and in government labs is not likely to cease any time soon. Thus, while it is all subject to opinion, the future of the United States' energy reduction and alternative fuels programs seems rather solid, expanding as research and development expands.