Chemistry

Brittney Journal November 1, 2007

Oil and natural gases are called fossil fuels because they are composed of fossils—The remains of organisms that lived as long ago as five hundred millions years. Coal is the fossilized remains of trees and other plants that were buried underground. Oil and gas originated, primarily, as single celled aquatic plants and animals that became buried beneath the ocean floor. All fossil fuels are hydrocarbons. ( mixtures of carbon and hydrogen)

Fossil fuels produce energy when they are burned. They are used to provide heat; to produce electricity; to power motor vehicles ; and to make products such as plastics, fertilizers and paints. Fossil fuels provide about 80 percent of the worlds energy—55 to 60 percent comes from oil and natural gas, and another 20 to 25 percents comes from coal.

In recent years, much attention has been drawn on the environmental damage caused by the burning of fossil fuels. Fossil Fuels contribute to global warming, air pollution and acid rain. For this reason, there has been a recent surge in attention being paid to alternative sources of energy, such as solar energy and wind energy.

Sources

Cegielski, Charles, ed. 1998 Yearbook of Science and the Future. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, 1997, pp. 303-304.