Fossil Fuels

The term "fossil fuel" refers to a hydrocarbon-containing substance that is naturally generated in the Earth's crust from the remnants of extinct plants and animals and is removed and burnt as fuel. Coal, crude oil, and natural gas are the basic types of fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels can provide heat for immediate use (such as for cooking or heating), power engines (like internal combustion engines in cars), or create electricity. Some fossil fuels are processed to create derivatives like kerosene, gasoline, and propane before burning. Fossil fuels are produced by the anaerobic decay of buried dead animals that contain organic compounds generated during photosynthesis. Geological processes often take millions of years to transform these minerals into high-carbon fossil fuels. In 2019, fossil fuels accounted for 84% of the world's primary energy consumption and 64% of its electricity. Fossil fuels are severely harmful to the environment when burned on a large scale. Approximately 35 billion tonnes of them are burned annually, compared to 4 billion from land development, producing over 80% of the carbon dioxide produced by human activity. Only a small portion of this can be eliminated naturally through processes on Earth, primarily ocean absorption. There is a consequent net annual increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide of many billion tonnes. Despite the fact that methane leaks are significant, burning fossil fuels is the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to both ocean acidification and global warming.