Fossil fuels and the modern world

Fossil fuels are a pillar of our society. They generate millions of jobs, create innumerable
benefits and allow us to have comfort in our daily lives. They have been used for centuries as
sources of energy to do things from heating homes to powering ships across oceans. If we were
to suddenly stop using them now, humanity would face devastating consequences. The economy
would crumble, millions would be left without power for their homes and businesses. Our world
is not advanced enough to be fully independent from fossil fuels yet.

There have been many ways suggested on how to change from hydrocarbons to green
energy. Many environmentalists say the change should be immediate and that governments
should enforce laws to change their methods of producing energy to be as green as possible, as
fast as possible. However, many countries do not have the resources to produce green energy
stations, such as wind turbines or solar panels. A lot of countries still heavily rely on fossil fuels
to generate power for their population. Another problem with green energy, particularly the
stations mentioned earlier, is that they still require a lot of building materials, processes, and
methods that use hydrocarbons as a power source. An example if this are the batteries needed to
store the power wind turbines generate. To obtain the lithium people need to detonate mountains,
mobilise various trucks and machines, and generally disturb the balance of an ecosystem. So is
there any way we can keep our way of life without harming the planet?

Fossil fuels have several advantages. To begin with, they are

accessible in almost all countries, making each country less dependent
on others to obtain these resources. This means countries can have their
own extraction sites without having to pay the additional price of
import. This is particularly beneficial to less economically developed
countries, since they can develop an industry to extract, use, and even
export these natural goods. Second, hydrocarbons produce a lot more
energy than green energy methods. These organic compounds are made
of bonds that link the hydrogen and carbon atoms together. These bonds
can be broken by exposing the hydrocarbons to oxygen via combustion. The bonds between the
hydrogen and carbon bonds are broken, releasing energy. The hydrogen and carbon atoms then
create new bonds with oxygen to create carbon dioxide and water (H2O). One kilogram of crude
oil can produce up to 42 Megajoules of energy, 6 times more than what a solar panel can produce
in one day, which is around 7 MJ of energy. Seeing this comparison its clear why humans still
choose hydrocarbons over green energy. Finally, humans have been using hydrocarbons for
centuries. "The most significant advantage of fossil fuels is our well-developed technology for
turning them into energy. We've had centuries to perfect they way we use it."
(Consumeraffairs.com) Newer and greener technologies are being developed each decade to
increase speed and efficiency of extraction and processing methods. These technologies allow us
to extract more of these resources than ever before to keep up with the global population's needs
for energy. Having developed such methods and equipment the energy industry can remain
stable, assuring most of the world's urban population can have electricity in their daily lives. The
International Labour Organization estimates that the oil and gas industry provide around 60
million jobs worldwide, both directly and indirectly. And since there are many years left until the
end of fossil fuels, people decide it is a good idea to take advantage of them now, despite the
grave consequences.

Unfortunately, fossil fuels come with several severe consequences. Probably the most
infamous being the problem of global warming. While CO2 in the atmosphere itself if not
uncommon, since it is the compound organic life forms produce, the levels at which it is being
produced are higher than any other time in the history of our planet. Global warming, as the
name suggests, means the temperature of the Earth increases. "The Earth’s average global
temperature has risen by 0.8
degrees Celsius since 1880."
(Theworldcounts.com). While this
might not seem so significant we
have to keep in mind that the earth
has existed for billions of years
and that we have managed to
increase the temperature by nearly
one whole degree in a relatively
short period of time. A clear
example of how intricate nature is
are coral reefs. The oceans absorb
around 30-50% of the CO2
humans produce from burning fossil fuels (gdrc.org). Carbon dioxide dissolves in the water,
reacting with water to create carbonic acid. This leads to ocean acidification, which disturbs the
pH levels of the ocean making it harder for some organisms to survive. The carbonate ions that
coral reefs need to grow and feed themselves are instead transformed into acid, making it harder
for them to thrive. On top of this the higher ocean temperatures cause an algae called
zooxanthellae, which lives in the coral's tissue and provides food for it, to leave the coral. This is
the cause of coral bleaching, which leaves the coral weak and highly vulnerable to diseases. Not
only fossil fuels harm the environment, but humans as well. "New data from WHO shows that 9
out of 10 people breathe air containing high levels of pollutants. Updated estimations reveal an
alarming death toll of 7 million people every year caused by ambient (outdoor) and household air
pollution." (WHO). With the population of the world increasing by millions every year, new
things have to be produced and supplied. Unfortunately the countries with the highest fertility
rates are usually the ones who rely the most on fossil fuels due to their unstable economy,
meaning as long as these birth rates and the economic situation remain the same, the amount of
CO2 we emit will keep increasing. This leads to diseases such as asthma to become increasingly
common and deadly. The number of respiratory conditions and CO2 emissions will only keep
increasing unless we begin swapping out fossil fuels for green energy.

Many alternatives have been proposed to change our need of hydrocarbons to using
energy that nature provides and does not generate waste. The most common methods discussed
are usually solar panels, wind turbines, and hydroelectric stations. All of these alternatives
produce no emissions from their activity, making them a much cleaner option. However, they are
not fully sustainable. To begin with, the energy they create is much less compared to fossil fuels.
As mentioned earlier, they produce only a sixth of the amount of energy fossil fuels create. One
could say we could solve the problem by building more, however, wind turbines and solar panels
are made from non renewable materials, such as steel. The batteries needed to store the energy
they generate are made of lithium, a metal already known to cause environmental problems and
toxic waste. To keep up with the world's needs of green energy, there would need to be a
significant increase in mining for these metals, which are usually located in some of the world's
less developed countries and require ecosystems to be destroyed. An example of some of the
effects of mining are destroyed mountains, which end up being stripped from the minerals
needed to grow trees and are left looking like rock hills. Apart from this, energy production is
also much slower and costs around the same price of fossil fuels, making the latter a much
cheaper alternative. Less economically developed countries often have to rely on fossil fuels
because they can not afford the price of green energy. More economically developed countries
have the resources to change their energy sources to be mostly renewable, however, these
countries are also usually the leading countries in the fossil fuel industry.

While a fossil fuel free world should definitely be possible, we still do not have the
technology to convert these natural sources of power into enough energy for humans. We are
definitely not trying enough to change to greener energy sources, since we can already begin to
gradually switch fossil fuels for renewable energy. More economically developed countries
should continue investing in research and development of renewable energy sources, as well as
encouraging the population to adopt more environmentally friendly habits. For example, a
government could create fines for citizens to pay if they exceed a certain amount of energy
consumption per month. Richer countries should also help less developed countries to secure and
improve their economy, creating more jobs and therefore improving the quality of life,
decreasing the birth rates and therefore consumption. For now we have to find the balance
between fossil fuels and renewable energy, at least until we find a better solution.
Bibliography
#1 Source: Interview
MLA reference: Torres, Jose. What Are Fossil Fuels' Pros and Cons? What Are Alternatives'
Pros and Cons? 4th Feb. 2022.
Restated Bullet Points/Outline:
Interview questions:
Interview:
What are the advantages of fossil fuels?
● Power: they allow combustion engines to have better efficiency in terms of horsepower.
Such as racecars, these cars are fossil fuel powered, you can never achieve such speed
with electric engines. Airplanes and jets are also fossil fuel powered, having the ability to
travel long distances very fast
● They are a resource that is accessible worldwide.
● They are known and have been studied by humans for hundreds of years, we know how
they work, which generates stability in the industry of energy.
What are the disadvantages of fossil fuels?
● Co2 emissions
● The monopoly behind them, even being so accessible the prices are controlled by certain
countries and people who own or hold power of most
● Oil spills can cause catastrophic results in marine wildlife, it is very severe. It can cause
a lot of damage to the flora and fauna of a region. A lot of species can die.
● It can contaminate lakes through the soil in earth buried camps.
● Petrol is not a renewable source of fuel.
What are the advantages of green alternatives?
● Less or no co2 emissions
● For example, if a battery runs out you can just change it
What are the disadvantages of green alternatives?
● Lithium waste
● Today it is more expensive to generate green energy than petrol.
● To operate a thermoelectric and hydroelectric stations you need both types of energy.
Even if you need a natural resource you end up using fossil fuels to operate the plant.
There is a balance.
● It generates a lot of waste, its gonna be a long term negative impact. Such as lithium
batteries destroys mountains
What would happen to the economy if we suddenly stopped using fossil fuels?
● It would entirely crumble. Today the world is not ready to change from fossil fuels. It is
still high dependant on it
● Example: to make an electric car, the fabrication of the pieces of the car depend on fossil
energy. To make the lithium batteries of an electric car you need to extract the lithium for
the mountains and to extract that lithium you need machines which operate using fossil
 fuels. The economy would crumble because there would be a recoil in technology, energy
and world necessities. There would not be enough energy or enough food enough
transport. We still depend 100% on them.
What would be the best approach to changing to green energy?
● The best wai is for it to be gradual,. Not radical.
● The best way will be to use both methods and create a balance between both ways of
making energy where you can benefit from the positive part of each.
● Its not a good idea to turn the world to green energy. You will create new problems.
Can we ever be fossil fuel free?
● Maybe but its not visualizable yet. Like how people didn't know that fossil fuel energy
could lift planes or power a rocket to the moon, green energy could one day power the
world
What are the different ways of extracting fossil fuels? Are they harmful to the environment
and people?
● Carbon is mining you damage mountains and forest contaminate rivers. Miners breathe
the dust and can get diseases or sicknesses. Sometimes minerals can be toxic. Lung
diseases
● Petrol: petrol extraction causes no dangerous health effects due to the advanced
technology today. Petrol extraction could bring toxic or radioactive minerals which could
cause harm if equipment is mishandled.
What is the price of extracting and processing fossil fuels compared to obtaining and
processing green energy?
● Time
● energy
How much energy do we get from fossil fuels compared to green energy?
● 10 barrels per hour 50 cents - 1 barrel per hour 200 dollars
Evaluation of source (why is it trustworthy or not?): The interviewee has been working in the oil
industry for more than 30 years. They have experienced firsthand what the disadvantages and
advantages of fossil fuels are, as well as contributing to projects looking for alternatives in the
company. Therefore they are highly reliable, but could be biased towards the oil industry.

#2 Source: The Guardian

MLA reference: Elliott, Larry. “Can the World Economy Survive without Fossil Fuels? | Larry
Elliott.” The Guardian, The Guardian, 8 Apr. 2015,
www.theguardian.com/news/2015/apr/08/can-world-economy-survive-without-fossil-fuels.
Restated Bullet Points/Outline: This source talks about the effects a fossil fuel free economy
would have on the world.
Evaluation of source (why is it trustworthy or not?): The guardian is a highly reliable and mostly
unbiased source. The article measures the pros and cons of both fossil fuels and green energy.
#3 Source: Prager U
MLA reference: “What’s Wrong with Wind and Solar? | PragerU.” Www.prageru.com,
www.prageru.com/video/whats-wrong-with-wind-and-solar. Accessed 5 Feb. 2022.
Bullet Points/Outline:
A fossil fuel free economy is impossible, and if it were possible, we would want to stick to fossil
fuels. Green alternatives create new environmental problems, child labor, and are too costly.
Evaluation of source (why is it trustworthy or not?): This source is highly unreliable. This
organization is claimed to misrepresent, oversimplify, or give inaccurate data and information to
benefit their arguments. Many of their arguments are also Pathos based, trying to get the
audience to feel resentment against a particular side. This source is very biased (right leaning),
and is full of propaganda.

#4 Source: Solarreviews.com
MLA reference: “How Much Energy Does a Solar Panel Produce? KWh Solar Production
Calculator.” Solar Reviews,
www.solarreviews.com/blog/how-much-electricity-does-a-solar-panel-produce.
Bullet Points/Outline:
Solar panels produce about 2 kWh per day.
Evaluation of source (why is it trustworthy or not?): Solarreviews.com is a website that helps
people switch to solar energy, helping them decide the best solar panel for their home and
showing reviews from other costumers. This source includes a lot of information from both
organizations and costumers, helping it be reliable as well as exposing public opinions.

#5 Souce: Transportgeography.org
MLA reference: Energy Content of Some Combustibles (in MJ/Kg) | the Geography of Transport
Systems.
transportgeography.org/contents/chapter4/transportation-and-energy/combustibles-energy-conten
t/.
Bullet Points/Outline
Crude oil can make up to 42 MJ of energy
Evaluation of source (why is it trustworthy or not?): This source is from an educational
foundation, meaning it can be trusted.

#6 Souce: Consumeraffairs.com
MLA reference: Parkman, Kathryn. “Solar Energy vs Fossil Fuels | ConsumerAffairs.”
Www.consumeraffairs.com, 31 Mar. 2020,
www.consumeraffairs.com/solar-energy/solar-vs-fossil-fuels.html.
Bullet Points/Outline: We have had centuries to develop technologies for fossil fuels, however,
solar energy is an alternative that can easily be installed in homes.
Evaluation of source (why is it trustworthy or not?): This website deals with many reviews of
several products, including solar panels. It has over 3 million verified reviews.

#7 Souce: International Labour Organization

MLA reference: Switzerl, ILO Library 4 route des Morillons CH-1211 Geneva 22, et al. “Oil and
Gas Production (ILO Library).” Www.ilo.org,
www.ilo.org/inform/online-information-resources/research-guides/economic-and-social-sectors/e
nergy-mining/oil-gas-production/lang--en/index.htm#:~:text=The%20ILO%20estimates%20that
%20nearly.
Bullet Points/Outline
Oil industry directly and indirectly employs 60 million people
Evaluation of source (why is it trustworthy or not?): This organization is a specialized agency of
the United Nations, dedicated to promote equality and decent working environments.

#8 Souce: NOAA
MLA reference: NOAA. “Ocean Acidification.” Www.noaa.gov, NOAA, 1 Apr. 2020,
www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/ocean-coasts/ocean-acidification.
Bullet Points/Outline: Ocean acidification happens when CO2 dissolves in the ocean and
combines with water to form carbonic acid. The ocean absorbs 30-50% of our CO2 emissions.
Evaluation of source (why is it trustworthy or not?): This source is reliable because it is a
reputable organization dedicated to research weather and alert the population of weather
anomalies and dangers.

#9 Souce: “The World Counts.” Www.theworldcounts.com,

www.theworldcounts.com/stories/Temperature-Change-Over-the-Last-100-Years.

#10 Souce: “Oceans and the Carbon Cycle.” Gdrc.org, 2019,

www.gdrc.org/oceans/fsheet-02.html.

#11 Souce: Boom, Daniel Van. “Half of Earth’s Coral Reefs Have Been Lost since 1950.” CNET,
www.cnet.com/news/half-of-earths-coral-reefs-have-been-lost-since-1950/. Accessed 6 Feb.
2022.

#12 Souce: Mollica, Nathaniel R., et al. “Ocean Acidification Affects Coral Growth by Reducing
Skeletal Density.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 115, no. 8, 29 Jan.
2018, pp. 1754–1759, www.pnas.org/content/115/8/1754, 10.1073/pnas.1712806115.
#13 Souce: NOAA. “What Is Coral Bleaching?” Noaa.gov, 5 Nov. 2020,
oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/coral_bleach.html.

#14 Source: WHO. “9 out of 10 People Worldwide Breathe Polluted Air, but More Countries Are
Taking Action.” Who.int, World Health Organization: WHO, 2 May 2018,
www.who.int/news/item/02-05-2018-9-out-of-10-people-worldwide-breathe-polluted-air-but-mo
re-countries-are-taking-action.