Fossil fuels are, by definition, the group of natural resources available in nature used for the production of energy through its burning and from the decomposition of organic material along the time. The three main types of fossil fuels are: o Petroleum, O natural gas it's the mineral coal, although there are others, such as oil shale.
Read too:Alternative energy sources
History of fossil fuels
These natural resources are called fossil fuels because their origin is associated with the process of decomposition of organic material in layers of sedimentary basins, similar to what occurs in the formation process of fossils. Despite this, there are less popular theories in the scientific area that defend the origin of these fuels by other means, such as inorganic or abiotic theory of petroleum. However, these propositions still need further validation in the academic sphere, as they are based only on hypotheses and some evidence.
As they are of fossil origin, the Petroleum and other fuels associated with it are not renewable — or rather, their replacement in nature occurs very slowly. With this, the geopolitics of oil is intensifying in the world, considering that, since the Industrial Revolution, this resource has been extremely necessary for the functioning of the world capitalist economy.
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Main types of fossil fuels
Petroleum is a fossil fuel extracted from continental and oceanic areas.
the poil is considered, beside water, the main natural resource of the modern era. Although there are government efforts around the world to reduce dependence on this element, it is still the most used fuel. In addition to the fact that it is a non-renewable resource, oil has the disadvantage of emitting large amounts of pollutants into the atmosphere during its burning.
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Read too:How are oil exploration and extraction carried out?
The main use of oil is its conversion into gasoline and diesel oil for vehicles. In addition, based on it, the following are produced: o LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas, used as cooking gas), the naphtha (a derivative used in the petrochemical industry), the plane kerosene, O plastic, some types of solvent and other products.
Coal is a type of fossil fuel used for power generation.
Coal, in turn, gained greater relevance in the structuring of societies with the First Industrial Revolution, being the main resource at that time. However, even today, it is widely used, especially in the so-called thermoelectric plants, which work on the basis of heating water, which is converted to steam, to turn a turbine and activate a generator. electricity.
coal is a sedimentary rock with a high carbon content. in its structure. Your origin goes back to the decomposition of plant materials, mainly from large ancient vegetable groups, which were buried an average of time ago. 300 million years. Although its calorific value and its combustion time result in a great advantage in terms of productivity, coal is the most polluting of fossil fuels, but it is the most abundant among they. Almost half of its reserves are in China.
Natural gas is a type of fossil fuel that has ample reserves.
O natural gas has become the most promising fossil fuel in terms of investment and use. Its advantages are: it's less polluting than the others in your group, have ample reserves it's the energy production cost based on it is lower than based on coal and enriched uranium. Their formation process generally occurs in conjunction with oil, although they are not always in the same areas.
The two main world powers in terms of reserves and exploration of natural gas are Russia and the USA. The Russians even make good geopolitical use of this resource, since much of Asia and Europe is dependent on the import of this product that circulates in gas pipelines built by Russia in several territories, including Ukraine.
Fossil Fuels in Brazil
despite the Brazilian energy matrix be considered one of the most renewable of the world, O Use of fossil fuels is still high in Brazil. The country is still heavily dependent on their use. About 36% of the Brazilian energy matrix is made up of fossil fuels, such as oil and mineral coal.
Brazil has one of the largest oil reserves in the world – the Brazilian pre-salt –, became one of the largest exporters of the fuel and attracted numerous investors to the sector.
According to data from Brown to Green released in 2018, Brazil surpassed the average of the countries that belong to the G20 subsidies for the use of fossil fuels. In 2016 alone, around US$ 16.2 billion were allocated to this energy source.
The Brazilian government also kept fixed the importance and resale values of gasoline, diesel, kerosene and natural gas. Encouraging the use of fossil fuels may mean that Brazil cannot achieve the goals established by the Paris Agreement in relation to the emission of gases from greenhouse effect.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Fossil Fuels
The use of fossil fuels is associated with environmental problems, such as the emission of polluting gases into the atmosphere.
Benefits |
Disadvantages |
- They have high energy efficiency when compared to other types of energy, producing significant amounts per unit of weight. |
- The lower the availability of these fuels, due to the intense use of their reservoirs, the higher their prices in the market. |
- Its reservoirs are generally easy to locate, extract and process. |
- They are related to various environmental problems, such as the emission of polluting gases into the atmosphere, contributing, for example, to the increase in the greenhouse effect. |
- It is more cost-effective than alternative energy sources. |
- Errors in storage and extraction, for example, of natural gas and oil can cause numerous and serious problems both to the environment and to health. |
Fossil fuels and environmental impacts
The use of fossil fuels is associated with several environmental problems. The dependence of the world energy matrix on non-renewable energy sources causes the reservoirs to shrink more and more due to the intense and unrestrained exploitation of natural resources. And because they are non-renewable sources of energy, the availability of fossil fuels is threatened, and therefore, the world's energy production as well.
Another environmental problem is the issue of emission of greenhouse gases through the burning of fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide is one of the main gases that intensify the greenhouse effect and cause climate change. The issue of reducing emissions has been the subject of discussions at numerous environmental conferences. Several agreements have already been established, such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. Searching for alternatives to the replacement of fossil fuels for energy production is essential for environmental conservation and for containing climate change.
Read too: environmental conferences
Co-authored text, by Rafaela Sousa
Graduated in Geography and
By Me. Rodolfo Alves Pena
