fossil fuels

THE FUTURE OF FOSSIL FUELS

Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years now, but the ramifications of their existence is growing as we enter into the Twenty First Century. One may ask how creatures that left the planet millennia ago could possibly affect us now. Well this complex question is simply answered by the phrase "Fossil Fuels". These organic forms of energy play a role in all of our lives as we use them to power virtually everything in our lives from automobiles to light bulbs and so on. As the planet experiences unusual climate changes and the idea fossil fuels running out becomes a reality, society has come to realize that we must discover and create alternate sources of energy.

FOSSIL FUEL FACTS

Fossil fuels are made up of decomposed pant and animal matter. They take millions of years to form and are harvested from the Earths crust using various methods. Forms of fossil fuels include a hard rock-like substance called coal, oil and natural gas. Coal is mined out of the ground and oil and natural gasses are drilled and pumped out of the ground using machines like the one pictured above. After coal and oil have been acquired they are refined and converted into useful products that can be used as sources of energy. Natural gas on the other hand can be stored and used directly.

Fossil Fuels are great in the fact that they emit high amounts of heat when burned, which allows them to be converted into useful energy, but at the same time they have many negative effects. First of all they produce large amounts of air pollution that are blamed for causing destruction to the ozone layer, acid rain and smog. Also they are non-renewable resources which means that once they are gone, they are gone.

Fossil Fuel Statistics

The United States uses about 17 million barrels of oil every day.
Petroleum accounts for nearly 40% of our country's energy.
Coal is used to produce almost 60% of our nations electrical power and account for 22% of our overall energy consumption.
Natural gas, a third form of fossil fuel, accounts for roughly 23% of The United States energy usage.
It takes the equivalent of 7 gallons of gasoline per day for every man woman and child to keep this country running at its current pace.
The U.S. is home to 5% of the world's population, yet consumes 26% of the world's energy.

ETHICAL CONCERNS OF USING FOSSIL FUELS

The ethics behind using fossil fuels fall mainly into the environmental ethics category. This is because they are organic substances, taken from the Earth which means consumption of them tends to have the highest impact on the environment. Environmental impacts of using fossil fuels include:

With all of these negative effects of using fossil fuels, we must question whether or not using fossil fuels is something that we should do. From an anthropocentric (Human Centered) point of view one would say that the environment is at our expense and that we should use it to its fullest value. This view also encompasses the idea that we do not need to preserve the planet for future generation since future generations of people do not yet exist, then, they cannot have rights any more than a dead person can have rights. On the other hand, eco-centrism states that the environment deserves direct moral consideration, and not one which is merely derived from human interests. Both of these beliefs are rather radical in our present society and most people tend to follow somewhere in the middle whether it is leaning towards the environment or leaning towards themselves. But the fact remains that to a certain extent everyone believes that something must be done, in whatever shape or form it may be, to preserve and protect our environment.

FOSSIL FUEL ALTERNATIVES

As Society begins to discover the long-term effects of using an energy resource which is responsible for 85% of the energy produced in the United States alone, we are forced to new alternatives that promote efficiency, cleanliness and the use of renewable resources. Many of these examples are illustrated here.
(Click on Pictures to view how the process works.)
ZERO EMISSIONS PLANT

OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY

WIND ENERGY

ADVANCED HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS

AND LINKS TO MANY MORE...
CARBON SEQUESTRATION
SOLAR ENERGY
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
HYDROELECTRICITY
BIO-MASS ENERGY
FUSION
FISSION

Stake Holders To The Future Of Fossil Fuels

Almost everyone holds some stake in the future of fossil fuels. We all use them in one way or another and so we play some role in the future of their use. Some promote them while others boycott them. But inevitably we all have our own way of participating in fossil fuel consumption.

The Public-This is probably the largest group of stake holders since we are the ones who use these products.
Oil and Natural Gas Companies- These biological energy sources are there livelihood and if the fuels were to be exhausted or people turn to alternate sources then they would have to change also or go out of business.
Countries (ie. Iraq,Iran) These countries have oil based economies and they are dependent on the world coming to them for their oil needs.
Scientists- These innovators hold the fate to introducing alternatives to fossil fuels as they create processes and ways for alternative energy to become practical.

As we can see, the list goes on infinitely to everyone who coexists on this planet.

Convenience

For now, using fossil fuels as an energy source is a convenience. It is relatively cheap and most importantly the technology is there. Thus, the only way that we are going to be able to steer people towards alternative energy sources is if we make it convenient. But who is responsible for this? I believe there are two big stake holders that can set the greatest example of where energy technology should head, the oil and natural gas companies, and the governments of the world.

Fossil Fuel Companies

Obviously oil and natural gas companies are large stake holders in field of fossil fuel use. It is their business and also their livelihood. I believe that a big step in the reduction of fossil fuel consumption lies in them. They need to realize the damage that fossil fuel byproducts cause and also the fact that they their product is not a bottomless resource. They need to spend more of their money in researching more efficient ways to harvest renewable resources and less on Super Bowl half-time commercials. Many believe that by doing this they would be putting themselves out of business. But in reality, if they were able to develop the knowledge to capture alternate forms of energy, they would stand alone in the market and be able to make millions on those of us who want to preserve our environment for future generations. This may seem like an attack on the oil and natural gas companies but I believe that they have the most control over the fate of fossil fuels.

Governments

Governments can have a large affect on how much energy technology advances in the realm of renewable, clean energy sources. One way they can do this is by holding electrical companies and petroleum users accountable for the pollution that they cause. This could be in the form of extra taxes on gasoline and natural gas that is burned. Then they could use the taxes collected to fund and promote projects that will create alternatives to fossil fuels. At the same time these new taxes would push consumers explore options for energy alternatives so that they would not have to pay the high prices for fossil fuels.

Conclusion
The future of fossil fuels will probably not be infinite. Society uses them because they are convenient. But once fossil fuels become less convenient I believe that alternate sources of energy will begin to take over. Wonderful innovations are popping up everyday in the form of electric cars, photo-voltaics and many ideas that will become more practical with time. Once these technologies are advanced it will be society's responsibility to embrace them and advance from old methods of harvesting energy. If this does not happen then further down the road future generations may be presented with the same demise as our reptilian predecessors.

References

1.     Little, Arthur. Benefits of Fuel Cells. April, 1999
    http://www.bullnet.co.uk/shops/test/hydrogen.htm
2.    British Wind Energy Association Homepage. November, 2000.
    http://www.britishwindenergy.co.uk/main.html
3.     Bartok, William; Sarofim, Adel F. Fossil Fuel Combustion:
    A Source Book. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.,
    1991. http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/fossilfuels.htm
4.     Sustainable Energy and Economy Network. Version 1.3, December 1998
    http://www.seen.org/wbstill/stinvent.html
5.     Holmgren,Brian. Hydrogen as an Energy Carrier and Fuel Cells. Last         Updated: December 16, 1999http://www.humboldt.edu/~serc/h2fuel.html
6.     U.S Department of Energy. 11-1-2000
    http://www.eren.doe.gov/
7.     OTEC. What Is Ocean Thermal Energy. September 1997.
    http://www.nrel.gov/otec/what.html
8.    Ochsenbein, Kathleen. Fossil Fuel Facts. August 02, 1999
    http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/curr/science/core/5th/sciber/2/fossil/default.htm
9.    http://www.ditto.com
10.    http://www.encyclopedia.com
11. http://www.google.com
12. http://www.yahoo.com
13.    http://cseserv.engr.scu.edu

LINKS

Created By: David Masuda
For: Santa Clara University, Department of Engineering
Last Updated: November 17, 2000