Written by Adeel Abbas
What are fossil fuels?
Fossil fuels can be defined as organic matter, obtained from decaying organisms under high temperature and pressure for a long period of time, and finally their decay after an extensive time span.
Fossil Fuels are the natural resources that take millions of years to form and cannot be re-created.
From the past few centuries, we have been using fossil fuels in order to obtain energy at residential and industrial level; these fuels play an important role in human life either it may be related to power or any other source of fuel.
Fossil fuels include coal, petroleum (crude oil), natural gas, and other such materials obtained from beneath the earth’s surface which needs special machinery for extraction. This machinery is becoming obsolete nowadays because new research has found alternative and renewable resources which will be discussed later in this article.
Nowadays, fossil fuels are becoming harmful to our environment as well as to our health. The combustion of these fuels emits greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide and other pollutants which cause air pollution, smog formation, acid rain, and climate change.
These effects not only affect humans but also wildlife and the ecosystem. In addition to that, extracting and using fossil fuels requires an enormous amount of water which is becoming a scarce resource day by day.
Apart from all these harmful effects, the use of fossil fuels is also contributing to the depletion of Earth’s non-renewable resources. So it is high time for us to look for some alternative and renewable resources for obtaining energy which will not only be eco-friendly but also cost-effective in the long run.
In conclusion, fossil fuels are natural resources that take millions of years to form and cannot be re-created. These fuels play an important role in human life either it may be related to power or any other source of fuel. However, the use of fossil fuels is becoming harmful to our environment as well as to our health. It is high time for us to look for some alternative and renewable resources for obtaining energy which will not only be eco-friendly but also cost-effective in the long run. Thank you for reading!
FAQs about Fossil Fuels
1. What is the harm caused by the combustion of fossil fuels?
The combustion of fossil fuels emits greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide and other pollutants which cause air pollution, smog formation, acid rain, and climate change. These effects not only affect humans but also wildlife and the ecosystem. In addition to that, extracting and using fossil fuels requires an enormous amount of water which is becoming a scarce resource day by day.
2. Why should we look for some alternative and renewable resources?
Apart from all these harmful effects, the use of fossil fuels is also contributing to the depletion of Earth’s non-renewable resources. So it is high time for us to look for some alternative and renewable resources for obtaining energy which will not only be eco-friendly but also cost-effective in the long run.
3. What are some alternative and renewable resources?
Alternative and renewable resources include solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectricity, geothermal energy, and biomass. These sources can be harnessed easily and do not cause any harm to the environment.
4. How can we shift to using these alternative and renewable resources?
It is not an easy task to shift from using fossil fuels to using alternative and renewable resources overnight. We need to make a conscious effort to use these resources in our day-to-day life and spread awareness about their benefits. Governments and policy-makers should also come up with regulations that promote the use of these resources.