Fossil Fuels: Coal, Oil, Natural Gas
Fossil fuels like coal and oil are hydrocarbon mixtures formed from ancient plant and animal remains over millions of years. Heat and pressure transformed these remains into fuel sources deep within the Earth.
Coal is a solid fossil fuel made from ancient swamp plants. It is mined from the ground and used to generate electricity in power plants.
Oil, or petroleum, comes from ocean organisms buried under sediment layers. It is refined into gasoline, plastics, and household products.
Natural gas, mostly methane, comes from the same sources as oil. It’s the cleanest-burning fossil fuel used for cooking and heating homes.
Although fossil fuels provide energy, burning them releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that drives climate change.
They also emit pollutants like sulfur dioxide, which causes acid rain, and nitrogen oxides, which create smog. Coal produces the most pollution, while natural gas burns the cleanest.
Today, fossil fuels still power most of the world and contribute to rising temperatures. Also, since they take millions of years to form, they are not a sustainable solution.
Fossil fuels like coal and oil are hydrocarbon mixtures formed from ancient plant and animal remains over millions of years. Heat and pressure transformed these remains into fuel sources deep within the Earth.
Coal is a solid fossil fuel made from ancient swamp plants. It is mined from the ground and used to generate electricity in power plants.
Oil, or petroleum, comes from ocean organisms buried under sediment layers. It is refined into gasoline, plastics, and household products.
Natural gas, mostly methane, comes from the same sources as oil. It’s the cleanest-burning fossil fuel used for cooking and heating homes.
Although fossil fuels provide energy, burning them releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that drives climate change.
They also emit pollutants like sulfur dioxide, which causes acid rain, and nitrogen oxides, which create smog. Coal produces the most pollution, while natural gas burns the cleanest.
Today, fossil fuels still power most of the world and contribute to rising temperatures. Also, since they take millions of years to form, they are not a sustainable solution.
Fossil fuels like coal and oil are hydrocarbon mixtures formed from ancient plant and animal remains over millions of years. Heat and pressure transformed these remains into fuel sources deep within the Earth.
Coal is a solid fossil fuel made from ancient swamp plants. It is mined from the ground and used to generate electricity in power plants.
Oil, or petroleum, comes from ocean organisms buried under sediment layers. It is refined into gasoline, plastics, and household products.
Natural gas, mostly methane, comes from the same sources as oil. It’s the cleanest-burning fossil fuel used for cooking and heating homes.
Although fossil fuels provide energy, burning them releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that drives climate change.
They also emit pollutants like sulfur dioxide, which causes acid rain, and nitrogen oxides, which create smog. Coal produces the most pollution, while natural gas burns the cleanest.
Today, fossil fuels still power most of the world and contribute to rising temperatures. Also, since they take millions of years to form, they are not a sustainable solution.
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