United States of America
Enviromental Issues Country Study
Website created by: Skye Henderson
Fossil Fuels
Natural Gas
Natural gas is a common energy source, powering 26% of the energy in the U.S.. Like petroleum, natural gas is removed from the ground and then treated before being turned into energy. After removed, the gas is transported and treated at a gas plants to remove impurities. To generate energy, the gas is burned in a boiler to produce steam which turns a turbine. Natural gas does produce significantly fewer air emissions than other fossil fuels. Despite this, the removal of the gas from the ground is extremely harmful to surrounding areas.
Coal
Though coal is less commonly used now, it still generates about 20% of our energy (see graph on "Energy Use" page). Coal is one of the dirtiest energy sources and the largest contributor to climate change. According to Green America, over 83% of the CO2 emissions since 1990 have been produced from coal power plants. Not only is coal bad for the environment but it is bad for our health. It contains many highly toxic compounds such as, sulfur dioxide, arsenic, nitrous oxide. Many of these pollutant are huge contributors to heart and lung diseases.
Oil/Petroleum
Oil and Petroleum are the largest single energy source, powering about 35% of all energy (see graph on "Energy Use" page). Petroleum is the oil that is immediately extracted from the ground. Petroleum eventually gets refined and turned into other products such as gasoline or heating oil. Since petroleum is a fossil fuel, it releases many greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Additionally, like natural gas, the process in which petroleum is extracted from the ground is harmful to the ecosystem and the land surrounding the drilling sites.
Source: https://lh6.ggpht.com/zvCVCK7PGwra1WNfKYeKFR y_x ZGEWAVk3oSNI8zdqTGmavydG6bgYybdXq1zGuYYCyC=s115
Why are Fossil Fuels Filled with Carbon?
As listed in the paragraphs above, fossil fuels emit many greenhouse gases and pollutants. But why do they release so much carbon? As seen in the diagram to the right, fossil fuels are fossilized carbon. Plants and animals all contain a lot of carbon inside of them. For example, humans are about 18% carbon. So when these plants and animals get buried under layers and layers of rock and earth, the carbon inside of them is also buried. This creates a carbon sink, or a reservoir that collects and contains carbon, and stores carbon for millions of years. When these fossil fuels are removed from the ground and burned for energy all of that carbon is released into the atmosphere. In short, carbon that has been underground for millions of years is now in our atmosphere.
How often do you use fossil fuels in everyday life?
Click here to learn more!
