Advantages And Disadvantages Of Fossil Fuels

Fossil fuels are formed from the organic remains of prehistoric animals and plants. Fossil fuels are responsible for supplying the world’s high electric energy demands. The most common forms of fossil fuels are gas, coal, and oil. These types of fossil fuels were formed over million years ago beneath the earth’s surface. Fossil fuels are foreseen to supply the high energy demands of man in the future.

Crude oil is the most common form of fossil fuel used by mankind today. It is also referred to as petroleum, and it’s quite easy to extract from the earth’s surface. Pipes are drilled beneath the earth’s surface to extract crude oil, which makes petroleum easy to transport. Petroleum has other uses, aside from being burned in power plants to convert it to electricity. Many people use petroleum primarily to power vehicles, machineries, and home heating systems.

The 8 Advantages of Fossil Fuel

1. Fossil fuel has the unlimited potential to generate huge amounts of electricity, within a single location.

2. Fossil fuels are extremely easy to find. They can be found in almost everywhere beneath the earth’s surface.

3. Fossil fuels are very cost effective, especially coal.

4. Transporting petroleum is made easy through pipes. It does not require oil companies to extract the oil from beneath the ground and transport them through land to other locations.

5. Power plants that use fossil fuels can be constructed in almost every location. As long as large quantities of fossil fuels can be brought easily to power plants, power stations can be constructed any anywhere.

6. Fossil fuels are regarded with their stability. Gas, oil, and coal are composed of molecules of carbon and hydrogen. Due to their stability and consistency, fossil fuels are easy to store. They do not even form into other compounds even if stored in cans for an extended period of time.

7. Fossil fuels have high calorific value. All types of energy they produce have the same calorific value. In energy, the more calorific, the more effective the energy is. This is probably the reason why fossil fuels are still preferred by people instead of renewable energy.

8. Gas, oil, and coal can produce a large amount of energy. Fossil fuels are fast combustible, which means that power plants can generate large amounts of energy.

The 2 Disadvantages of Fossil Fuels

1. Pollution is probably the primary disadvantage of fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels can cause greenhouse effect, which is harmful to the environment. Continuously burning fossil fuels largely contribute to global warming that earth experiences today.

2. Destruction of wide areas of land is another huge disadvantage of mining fossil fuels. Mining fossil fuels mat also endanger the lives of the animals, the people living the site’s surroundings, and the lives of the miners.

Despite the advantages of fossil fuels, there are still disadvantages that people should look at. These disadvantages warn people not to abuse mankind’s source for power or else, it will destroy them instead of building them. Power plants should take all of the necessary things that must be done to secure the world’s primary source of power from destroying the earth’s surface and the people living in it.