Despite their prevalence, the use of fossil fuels has become a point of contention for many global citizens, because of the many negative consequences of utilizing them. In fact, 69% of U.S. adults say they prioritize developing alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar, over expanding the production of oil, coal, and natural gas.

You may wonder why we continue to rely on fossil fuels when so many Americans want to develop more sustainable energy sources. The truth is, there are some reasons why it’s still advantageous to use fossil fuels today.

In this guide, we’ll fully examine this debate, looking at the pros and cons of fossil fuels, how they impact our planet, and why they are so difficult to transition away from.

What are fossil fuels?

You are certainly familiar with the most common examples of fossil fuels – coal, oil, and natural gas, but how do these fuels come to be?

Fossil fuels are compound mixtures consisting of decomposing plant and animal material from millions of years ago. This material is trapped in the Earth’s crust and contains carbon and hydrogen, which can be burned for energy.

Fossil fuels are created when this decomposed material undergoes extreme heat and pressure in the Earth’s crust – as the matter is compressed over time, the chemicals begin to break down and transform into natural fuels.

Each fossil fuel is a result of different combinations of carbon, hydrogen, and other compounds. Different organic materials form unique fuels: the most common fossil fuels are the result of unique amounts of pressure and materials.

Coal, oil, and natural gas are a result of these unique processes, according to National Geographic: 

Humans extract the stored energy in these materials in a variety of ways. Mining is used to extract solid fossil fuels by digging, scraping, or exposing buried resources. Drilling methods help extract liquid or gaseous fossil fuels that can be pumped up to the surface of the Earth, like oil and natural gas.

Fossil fuels are not renewable, meaning that there is a finite supply of these materials inside the Earth. Over time, as humans have extracted fossil fuels, we have had to drill deeper and deeper into the Earth’s crust to harness these materials.

Today, oil and gas wells can range in depth from a few hundred feet to more than 20,000 feet. In some parts of the world, wells go as deep as 30,000 feet.

Why is it important to extract these fossil fuels? 

In short, fossil fuels contain stored energy in the form of carbon and hydrogen, which, when burned, power the mechanical processes we rely on, such as transportation and the electricity we use in our homes every day.

Although there are numerous negative effects of fossil fuel use and extraction, most of the world relies on the energy that fossil fuels produce.

Uses of fossil fuels

Before diving into the specific pros and cons of fossil fuels, it’s important to understand the ways in which fossil fuels are already essential to our daily lives.

While renewable energy sources like solar and wind energy are growing in popularity, the global economy is currently reliant on fossil fuel use. Let’s dive into the numerous ways that fossil fuels are utilized around the world every day.

Transportation

The U.S. spends 29% of its total energy each year to power industrial, farm, rail, and sea transportation with fossil fuels. The main type of fuel used for transportation in the U.S. is petroleum.

These fuels are made from crude oil and natural gas processing, including gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, and propane, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Natural gas and electricity are also widely used for transportation in the U.S.

If you drive a car, truck, or motorcycle, you know that your car’s engine burns fuel that comes from crude oil, or gasoline. Distillate fuels are used mainly by large trucks, buses, trains, and ships. Commercial and private airplanes use jet fuel to power their trips across the country.

In 2021, petroleum products accounted for about 90% of the total energy used in U.S. transportation activities. All in all, the transportation of goods, people, and food uses a large amount of fossil fuel.

Household uses

Fossil fuels are used in our homes as well, but their most prominent use may surprise you.

More than half of the energy use in U.S. homes is used for heating in the winter and air conditioning when it’s warm outside. Of course, the amount of energy used varies by season, geographic region, home size, and the fuels used.

Next on the list of household energy uses is water heating, lighting and refrigeration, processes that occur year-round and power pretty much every home in the U.S. Combined, these activities accounted for 27% of total annual home energy use in 2015.

Many stoves in modern-day homes are powered electrically, but gas-powered stoves utilize propane to cook food. Fossil fuels are present in our households in additional ways – plastic containers, toilet seats, telephones, toys, kitchen utensils, and more. Fossil fuels produce the petrochemicals used in the manufacturing of polyester and plastic products.

Medical and pharmaceutical uses

The transportation and household uses of fossil fuels may not have surprised you, but did you know that fossil fuel extracts also have medical and pharmaceutical uses?

For example, processed plastics made with oil are used in heart valves and other specialized medical equipment. Chemicals derived from crude oil are used in radiological dyes and films, tubing, syringes, and oxygen masks. Even MRI scanners are made from fossil-fuel-derived materials.

Additionally, fossil fuel extracts are used in products many of us use every day. The chemical Benzene, for example, is a natural component of crude oil and gasoline. It’s often used to make some types of lubricants, rubbers, and even drugs.

To better understand why fossil fuels are used in so many products and processes around the world and why detractors want to be rid of these fuels, let’s dive into the pros and cons of fossil fuels.

Advantages of fossil fuels

While there are various cons of utilizing fossil fuels in our households and businesses, there are several reasons why fossil fuel use has become so commonplace over the years.

Let’s examine some of the advantages of fossil fuel use.

1. Efficient energy sources

Fossil fuels are among the most efficient sources of energy, because small amounts of oil or gas, for example, produce a large amount of energy. Different fuels carry different amounts of energy per unit of weight, and fossil fuels are more energy dense than other sources.

The energy density of oil, according to a Drexel University study, is about 35 to 45 gigajoules (10,000 kWh) per cubic meter. Alternatively, solar energy has a density of 1.5 microjoules per cubic meter, over twenty quadrillion times less than oil.

While renewables like solar energy may be more sustainable, it’s difficult to deny that fossil fuels make efficient energy sources.

2. Useful byproducts

Fossil fuels also create byproducts that are widely used throughout homes and businesses. In fact, petrochemicals derived from oil and natural gas make the manufacturing of over 6,000 everyday products and high-tech devices possible.

So, how does oil turn into a plastic item like the toothbrush you use every day?

After crude oil is removed from the ground, it’s sent to a refinery where different parts of the crude oil are separated into usable petroleum products. While most of these groups are used for the production of energy, a few chemicals are used to make various items.

Some of the products made from fossil-fuel-derived materials may surprise you:

• Antifreeze
• Artificial limbs
• Umbrellas 
• Backpacks
• Contact lenses 
• Mops
• Glue
• Swimming pools

These everyday items would not be possible without chemicals derived from fossil fuels.

3. Easy to transport

Transporting fossil fuels is easier when compared to transporting the energy gained from other sources like wind, water, or solar power.

Crude oil moves from the extraction source to refineries using barges and tankers, and over land by trucks and railroads, or underground through pipelines. Natural gas is transported by underground pipelines and liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers. These materials are housed in metal tankards and containers.

While it is generally considered easy to transport these fossil fuels, it’s important to note that oil spills and natural gas leaks occur frequently. These incidents are a large source of various pollutants leaking into our atmosphere and water sources.

4. Generates thousands of jobs

There are millions of people currently employed by the fossil fuel energy sector – in 2019, nearly 1.7 million people worked in fossil fuel industries, conducting activities such as mining, electricity generation, and transportation.

Many countries rely on the economic activities resulting from fossil fuel extraction and use. Because of this, the adoption of renewable energy must include transitioning these millions of jobs that individuals and families rely on around the world.

5. Readily available and relatively easy to extract

Fossil fuel plants and extraction sites require a relatively small amount of infrastructure. For example, offshore oil rigs and onshore oil derricks pump most of the petroleum that is extracted throughout the world. This process involves drilling a hole into a potential oil patch and then pumping the oil out through a long tube.

Most countries that rely on fossil fuels also already have the infrastructure and knowledge with which to mine and drill for these fuels.

In addition, since fossil fuels have powered our world for over 250 years, there is already infrastructure in place to distribute it and utilize it at a relatively low cost. Most of our infrastructure is, ultimately, already built for fossil fuel use, from cars to gas-powered stoves.

Over the last few centuries, large amounts of fossil fuels have been readily available around the world. Rising population has created more and more demand for these energy sources.

To extract fossil fuel resources at a faster rate, global nations have invested large sums of money into the energy sector. In fact, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicted that energy sector investment would rise to over 8% in 2022 to reach a total of $2.4 trillion.

Disadvantages of fossil fuels

Now that we understand the various reasons why fossil fuels are considered advantageous around the world let’s dive into the many disadvantages of fossil fuel use.

1. Environmental degradation

Primarily, the burning of fossil fuels causes air pollution, which makes its way into our soil and water sources. The combustion of these fuels releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other greenhouse gasses, which trap heat in our atmosphere and heat up our planet.

Thus, greenhouse gasses like CO₂ are the primary cause of one of the most existential threats to our planet: climate change. In fact, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has found that emissions from fossil fuels are the dominant cause of global warming. In 2018, 89% of global CO₂ emissions came from fossil fuels and industrial activities.

Many places around the world are already experiencing the effects of climate change, such as the ever-rising sea level and extreme natural disasters, and weather patterns. If this persists, the consequences will be disastrous for all living species.

Evidently, the use of fossil fuels contributes to environmental degradation and is worsening climate change by the day.

2. Power stations require lots of reserves of coal

Today, we rely on power stations to produce energy. For power stations to keep working, they require vast amounts of coal: it takes about 1 pound of coal to generate one kWh of electricity.

In addition, large trucks are used to transport coal if power stations are not located near large deposits of coal. This transportation also requires a lot of power which can not only damage the Earth but is also very expensive. In turn, fuel prices will keep rising as a result of high transportation costs.

3. Health complications (from fuel combustion)

Critically, fossil fuel combustion causes air pollution, which can lead to serious health complications that are passed down through generations.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), burning fossil fuels releases pollutants that lead to early death, heart attacks, respiratory disorders, stroke, and asthma. It has also been linked to autism spectrum disorder and Alzheimer’s disease.

Carbon dioxide emissions have also been associated with global warming and the destruction of the ozone layer. The ozone layer protects humans and animals from the powerful rays of the sun, so degrading this layer exposes us to high levels of radiation, which causes skin cancer.

4. High depletion level

Critically, fossil fuels are not renewable energy sources. Unlike water, sun, and wind energy sources, the level of fossil fuels underground is depleting with each passing day.

In the next few centuries, we will run out of fossil fuel reserves. Experts predict we have 139 years left of coal, 54 years left of oil, and 49 years of gas supply. In our lifetime, we must transition to alternative sources of energy to power our everyday lives and critical processes.

5. Oil spills and gas leaks

When transporting oil, there is a high likelihood of the oil spilling onto land and into the sea. In the U.S. alone, there have been over 44 major oil spills since the 1970s, resulting in severe harm to aquatic life.

Ultimately, oil spills are disastrous to all living things and almost impossible to clean up.

The Horizon oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico released 4.9 million oil barrels into the Gulf of Mexico. The petroleum that had leaked from the well before it was sealed formed a slick extending over more than 57,500 square miles, harming and killing millions of plants and animals in the region.

Natural gas pipelines also leak this harmful fuel into the soil and atmosphere. Leaks are incredibly dangerous because they can kill vegetation and trees, cause explosions and fires, and release greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.

6. High levels of water usage

Water shortages are a common problem in most parts of the world, especially in developing nations or areas stricken by drought.

In California alone, oil and gas operators used 3 billion gallons of freshwater from municipal sources between 2018 and 2021, an amount equal to what would be used in more than 120 million showers.

Fossil fuel power plants contribute to this problem because they require vast amounts of water for cooling. A study conducted in the U.S. reveals that fossil fuel power plants consume over four times the water that all the water used in homes in the U.S.

The long-term effect of water consumption by fossil fuels is the depletion of finite water resources, and the result is a lack of water. Contaminated water supplies or a lack of water can result in improper sanitation, exposure to chemicals, health issues, and even death.

7. Rising fuel costs

As fossil fuels continue depleting, it is becoming harder and harder to extract them from the Earth. In turn, the cost of extracting fossil fuels has risen. In the U.S., if fossil fuel prices are driven higher, the country could spend more than $30 trillion on fossil fuels between 2010 and 2030.

Also, since only a few countries in the Middle East produce the world’s fossil fuels, there is an increasing fear of war, lower output of fuels, and strikes by trade unions that can lead to fuel fluctuations around the world.

The clean energy transition

While there are clear pros and cons of fossil fuels, it’s clear that the disadvantages of continuing to use fossil fuels far outweighs the benefits. The clean energy transition seeks to make renewable energy sources more reliable and encourage the widespread adoption of renewables over fossil fuels.

Experts agree that switching from more harmful fossil fuels like coal and oil to less emission-intensive fuels like natural gas can result in significant CO₂ and air quality benefits. While it’s not a long-term answer to climate change, switching to natural gas can make a difference in the short term.

However, our supply of fossil fuels will run out soon. Significant investment, private-public partnership, and widespread adoption of renewable energy sources like solar and wind energy must occur before we can successfully phase out the use of the fossil fuels that are harming our planet.

Organizations like the Clean Energy Transition Institute, the United Nations, and the European Commission have identified pathways to decarbonization in the building, industrial, and manufacturing sectors. Like with the domestic use of fossil fuels, these industries must transition away and find alternatives.

Conclusion on the pros and cons of fossil fuels

When we compare the pros and cons of fossil fuels, it is clear that despite their numerous uses, fossil fuels are causing untold damage to our planet, humans, and plant and animal species.

Since human beings have relied upon fossil fuels for a long time, the transition may seem difficult, but it’s necessary for the survival of our planet and species.

However, some countries have begun to generate substantial portions of electric power from renewable sources. Individuals and large organizations and corporations should all join in the clean energy movement, to make the Earth a better home for us all.

When you think about it, it’s amazing that a simple mixture of solid, liquid, and gaseous hydrocarbons could have had such remarkable utility in the advancement of mankind. 

But the continued use of petroleum is increasingly becoming a source of controversy. The history of petroleum is in part a bloody one and environmental concerns and the sustainability agenda have led to calls for a curtailment of its use.

It’s clear that petroleum is neither all good nor all bad, therefore, it is important to weigh both sides of the product. In this article, we share 20 important pros And cons of petroleum to help you evaluate the role of petroleum in the 21st century.

14 advantages of petroleum

Petroleum has been used by man for millennia and has played a role as an energy source in diverse civilizations and empires including the Sumatran, Babylonian, Persian, and Chinese empires. 

Oil is the fuel of the discoveries of organic chemistry, the invention of the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), and the industrial revolution. Here are the need-to-know benefits of petroleum:

1. It’s an authoritative energy source that can be used by any vehicle

Petroleum maintains its high demand because key petroleum byproducts are used as fuels that are burnt to generate mechanical work. The most important example of this is the internal combustion engine, invented in the late 1800s. There are three types of ICE, spanning automobiles, shipping, trains, aviation, and even spacecraft all use petroleum byproducts as fuel:

• the spark ignition engine used by automobiles.
• the diesel engine used by trains and industrial machinery.
• the gas turbine jet engines use for aviation and spacecraft.

This makes petroleum essential for every level of human transport and exploration.

2. Stable and reliable energy resource

Petroleum naturally occurs as crude oil, a composite of solid, liquid, and gaseous hydrocarbons. This is an amazing substance that uses high-energy carbon-carbon bonds to store energy with enough stability for it to be extracted, refined, and transported safely. 

Petroleum can vary significantly in its density, viscosity, and boiling points, but it is consistent in its stability. The diverse alkanes, cycloalkanes, and hydrocarbons of petroleum are incredibly energy dense but strong enough to prevent excessive volatility.

3. Petroleum is a vital element in industrialization

During the 20th century, petroleum became the world’s most important energy source and a key driver of industrialization and economic growth. Countries that were early to exploit the benefits of petroleum have become more economically developed countries with advanced infrastructure and technology. 

Countries use petroleum byproducts in all parts of an advanced economy and provide the fuel needed for manufacturing and trade by road, air, and sea.

4. Petroleum is easily extracted and at a low cost

The modern industrial methods and technologies used to extract oil from below the earth’s surface are advanced and efficient. This short video from Total Energies explains how it’s done:

Because of increasing public awareness and regulatory scrutiny, the oil and gas industry has had to innovate, taking huge steps to simplify petroleum extraction and production so that it has less impact and cost.

This has resulted in the widespread distribution and availability of petroleum and its use as an affordable energy source.

5. Extraction of petroleum is safe

Oil exploration and the extraction and refining of petroleum are inherently risky. But safety standards and techniques have improved alongside innovation in the industry and the extraction of petroleum is now extremely safe.

Companies invest in the equipment and training that is necessary to protect workers while they undertake oil and gas well drilling. Industry and regulatory standards seek to minimize well-known risks of drilling for oil that include: 

• being struck by/ caught-In/ caught-between
• explosions and fires
• falls
• high-pressure lines and equipment
• machine hazards

This has helped to reduce the injury and fatality rate in this sector.

6. Transportation of petroleum is easy

Petroleum is extracted and transported in liquid form making it easy to use pipelines, tankers, and heavy goods vehicles to transport it from one point to another. The stability of raw oil means that it can be stored in barrels and move over long distances without exploding.

7. Storage and transportation does not lead to energy loss

Unlike most energy resources that lose their potential energy levels with time, petroleum retains its energy potential. The high-energy hydrocarbon bonds in petroleum are strong and remain intact until refining or deliberate combustion occurs.

This makes oil valuable as it can be transported miles away from the extraction location to the refinery factories without any alterations. It can also be stored long-term without deterioration

8. Petroleum possesses multiple usages

Petroleum is valuable because of the large number of high-utility by-products that can be produced from it. Although over 80% of crude oil is used for gasoline and fuel, petroleum is refined and processed to produce many everyday items. This smart video from the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board (OERB), explains how items produced from oil range from detergents to fertilizers:

9. Petroleum provides a strong economic background in some countries

The demand for petroleum generates massive revenues for the world’s major oil-producing countries. This becomes a major contributor to the GDP of these countries and has built their wealth. 

For example, petroleum accounts for about half of the GDP of Kuwait as well as 95% of the government income and export revenues. In many oil-producing countries, the improvement of living standards and infrastructure depends on how their oil performs on the global market.

10. Provision of job opportunities

The oil and gas industry is a 2.1 trillion dollar industry, which is growing as emerging economies industrialize and increase their demand for oil. 

Over 6 million people are employed across all stages of the production of petroleum from the exploration and drilling of crude oil (upstream), through transportation (midstream) to the sale and marketing of petroleum products (downstream).

11. Petroleum is used to create renewable energy resources

It’s the renewable industry’s best-kept secret! Wind turbines and solar panels rely on petrochemicals for their production and maintenance. 

Photovoltaic cells that capture solar energy require petroleum for their manufacturing. The photovoltaic panels need over a hundred liters of petroleum to produce the ethylene required for just one panel.

12. Petroleum is a high-density fuel 

Petroleum is exceptional as an energy source because its strong hydrocarbon bonds release so much energy when they are broken. 

Burning one kilogram of petroleum releases 41,868 kilojoules. This calorific value, known as the  kilograms of oil equivalent (kgoe) of crude oil means that we only need very small amounts of petroleum to create such huge amounts of energy!

13. Petroleum is used in medical therapies and treatments

Petroleum was used by the ancient Chinese as a medical solution for some skin problems. Currently, we use petroleum to manufacture petroleum jelly and other emollients and ointments, though many people are making the move toward natural skincare products. The organic chemistry that underpins modern petroleum applications has been used to develop a variety of pharmacological agents, including anesthetics.

14. Depleted oil fields are productive

Depleted oil and gas fields have unique geological properties that make them ideal for the long-term storage of gasses. For almost a century, these expired oil fields have been used to store large volumes of natural gas worldwide. Other applications for these locations include CO₂ injection and hydroelectricity generation using pumped, pressurized water.

Disadvantages of petroleum

It’s impossible to overlook the downsides when examining the pros and cons of petroleum Let’s look at the downsides of petroleum. The headline issues are obvious to most people but it is essential that we weigh them against the benefits of this resource so that individuals, societies, and nationals make the best decision about how to use petroleum. 

Some of the notable cons of petroleum include:

1. Environmental pollution

Environmental pollution from the by-products of petroleum combustion is probably the most well-known downside of petroleum use. Many scientists think the generation of greenhouse gasses from gasoline and diesel causes the proposed phenomenon of global warming.

Exhaust fumes from internal combustion engines are a noteworthy contributor to air pollution, causing acid rain and deteriorated air quality that causes health problems. 

2. Oil spillage

Oil has been responsible for major environmental disasters in the 20th century, such as the Exonn Valdez oil spill (1989) and the Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010. 

When petroleum finds its way into water bodies, it floats on top of the water, forming a film that blocks out light and hinders aeration. When you look at the persistent devastation an oil spill causes you can see that petroleum can devastate marine life:

3. Has toxic byproducts

Crude oil is refined to produce fuels and other byproducts. But the refinery process generates extremely noxious substances that cause significant, life-limiting health problems. Toxic byproducts of petroleum include: 

• Benzo(a)pyrene which can cause lung cancer.
• Acetaldehyde, a known carcinogen
• Benzene. Exposure in pregnancy and early childhood can cause leukemia.
• Formaldehyde (gas) is a known cause of leukemia and other cancers.
• Lead can cause neurological problems in children.  

4. It is a limited resource

In many societies, petroleum is used as though there is an inexhaustible supply. But it’s important to consider that it is non-renewable. This means once petroleum is extracted and consumed as a product, it can never be reused or replaced.

Oil is becoming scarce as a resource while global demand continues to increase. This drives up its cost and accelerates its consumption. According to Worldometer, if the current level of consumption is maintained there are only 47 years of petroleum supply left on the earth. 

A significant decrease in petroleum supply might cause nasty scenarios, including wars, famines, and economic collapse. Therefore, alternative energy sources need to supplement and reduce the over-reliance on petroleum.

5. Used as a tool for political gain

Modern history is filled with individuals and governments who have exploited petroleum for political gain. In particular, oil-rich, corruption, and violence can harm less economically developed countries as people fight over the oil, and revenues and withhold investment in the infrastructure and services required to raise living standards for the population. 

Some African countries lose as much as 40% of their oil revenues to corruption while the countries are impoverished. Alternatively wealthier nations may interfere with the government of oil-rich but poor countries to create dependence and exploit their resources. 

6. Regular maintenance of the infrastructure

The upstream, midstream and downstream aspects of oil require complex infrastructure. Significant financial, equipment and human resources are required to maintain oil drilling, refinery, storage, and transportation infrastructure.  Intensive monitoring of the machine is involved, and maintenance has to be performed to prevent any accidents or oil spillage.

Conclusion on pros and cons of petroleum

Right now, petroleum seems to be an inescapable part of modern life for the majority of countries in the world. Many of the pollution and environmental harms of petroleum are being addressed by improved technologies, that prevent or restore environmental damage. However, as it is a finite resource, we have to get used to the fact that we cannot take petroleum for granted. Investment in ways to make petroleum production and use cleaner and more efficient, alongside alternative energy sources appears to be the way forward.

Do you think the advantages of using petroleum outweigh its disadvantages? Share with us in our comments.

10 Biggest Pros and Cons of Nonrenewable Energy Sources

Energy is the driver of almost everything that we do in the current world. Whether it’s lighting, heating, traveling, farming, and so many other human activities, energy is required. In this article, we will look at the pros and cons of nonrenewable energy sources, which are one of the two forms of energy sources.

Energy sources can either be renewable or nonrenewable with the main difference between them being consumption of fuel and combustion. Currently, nonrenewable sources are widely used than their counterparts, although people are also now widely shifting to renewable sources.

These are some of the most common renewable energy trends and technologies to follow.

What are Nonrenewable Energy Sources

Nonrenewable energy sources are energy reserves that cannot be replenished at a rate quick enough to keep up with consumption. What this means is that the energy sources or reserves will deplete at a particular point. Simply put, nonrenewable sources of energy will run empty at some point, and therefore, the energy is not sustainable.

As defined by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), “nonrenewable energy sources are sources that cannot be replenished within a short period.”

Types of Nonrenewable Sources of Energy

When talking about nonrenewable energy sources, there are mainly three sources which include Fossil fuels, Nuclear energy, and Biomass energy. However, fossil fuels are the most widely used source of energy, including petroleum, coal, and natural gas.

A report by National Geographic shows that there are numerous reservoirs of nonrenewable sources of energy throughout the world.

Fossil Fuels

All fossil fuels, including coal, natural gas, and petroleum, forms in the same way. Since the primary element of all fossil fuels is carbon, the period during which the fuels were formed is known as the Carboniferous Period. According to research, this formation took place between 300 and 360 million years ago.

Interestingly, fossil fuels were formed from plants, animals, planktons, and algae which existed all those millions of years ago. These plants and animals when they died, they were crushed underground and under the seabed over long periods. The energy in the animals and plants when they died, the heat and pressure they experienced underground, changed them into fossil fuels.

Currently, there are numerous, large underground reservoirs which contain these nonrenewable energy sources around the globe. These reservoirs are the ones we explore and extract these fossil fuels to form energy for our everyday activities.

• Coal

One of the primary sources of fossil fuels is coal. Coal is a type of rock, that is black or brownish, and that is burned to produce energy. Coal is formed through carbonization, and it is classified based on the amount of carbonization it has undergone.

The different types of coal include Peat, which is the least rank of coal, and Anthracite coal, which is the topmost rank. Peat coal is available in areas such as Finland, Scotland, and Ireland, among others. On the other hand, Anthracite is prevalent in areas such as the eastern region of the U.S., which had experienced massive earth movements.

We can mine coal through two principal methods. These methods include underground mining, which is used for deep ground coal and the surface mining for coal that is near the earth’s surface. We have a full guide on the disadvantages of coal.

• Petroleum

Petroleum also referred to as crude oil or oil, is a liquid form of fossil fuel. This type of fossil fuel is contained in the underground rock formations and can bubble out of the earth’s surface. For example, in some places like California and Los Angeles, you can see large pools of oil bubbling up from the ground.

However, the largest reserves of oil are located deep in the ground, and therefore, humans drill through the ground to access them. These reservoirs are available either underground the dry land, or under the ocean floor.

After drilling, the petroleum is then refined to take out various chemicals since the crude oil contains lots of them. The refined oil is then converted into multiple products such as gasoline, as well as rubbing alcohol, water pipes, nail polish, roofing, and many other products.

Natural gas is another fossil fuel that is trapped underground in reservoirs. It is mostly made up of methane. If you have ever smelled methane, it has the smell of rotten eggs.

• Natural Gas

Mostly, we use natural gas for cooking and heating. However, in some instance, the gas can be burned to produce electricity. The gas is found underneath the ground in rock formations that usually spans for kilometers. Statistics estimate that the underground gas is so much that it measures billions or trillions of cubic meters.

There is so much natural gas underground that it is measured in a million, billion or trillion cubic meters.

The gas is in the form of methane, but it can also be liquefied to form LNG (liquid natural gas) which is a much cleaner form of fossil fuels.

Nuclear Energy

Another source of nonrenewable energy is nuclear energy. Naturally, nuclear energy in itself is renewable. However, the materials that required in a power plant are not renewable. We generate nuclear energy through a process we refer as the fission process.

In this process, the heat necessary to create steam in the plant comes through the fission of atoms. This process is simply splitting of atoms, where the atoms release energy in the form of neutrons and heat.

The main reason why nuclear energy is a nonrenewable source is that uranium, which is the main component of the process is finite. Again, although we can find uranium in rocks around the globe, the type of uranium the power plants needs, U-235 is rare and finite.

Biomass Energy

Although Biomass energy is a renewable source of energy, it also doubles as a nonrenewable source. This is because biomass energy makes use of plants to generate power.

If we don’t replant these plants as fast as their rate of consumption, then the source will deplete. In this case, biomass energy becomes a nonrenewable source.

The most common plants that burned to generate electricity include wood, soy, and corn, among others.

See Related: Waste-To-Energy Overview

What are the Pros and Cons of Nonrenewable Energy?

When talking about nonrenewable energy, there are some positives as well as negatives that come with them.

Let’s find out more, which are these attributes.

Advantages of Nonrenewable Energy

These are some of the pros of nonrenewable energy to consider.

1. Less Initial Capital to Install

Since nonrenewable energy sources have been in use for long, the energy infrastructure in most countries leans nonrenewable sources of power. Research made by Andy Darvill’s Science Site shows that nonrenewable fossil fuels contribute to 66% of the world’s source of electricity. It also shows that it satisfies around 95% of the entire energy needs. The needs include the generation of electricity, transport, and heating, among others.

Therefore, since there are already existing structures for the same, the adoption of nonrenewable energy sources such as fossil fuels become cheaper. For example, solar panels or windmills might require a considerable amount of initial investment to install as well as the purchase of new equipment.

On the other hand, connecting to the already existing electricity grid or natural gas pipeline is easier as you don’t require new equipment.

2. Consistency

With nonrenewable energy sources, they can produce a more constant power supply, as long as the necessary fuel is available.

In comparison, renewable energy sources depend on unreliable sources such as wind and solar energy.

3. Extraction and Storage

When it comes to nonrenewable energy sources, they are moderately cheap to extract. Also, they are easy to store, pipe, and ship anywhere in the globe.

4. Reliable and Dependable

No matter the time of the day or season of the year, we can rely on these energy sources. Also, during the extraction and transportation of these fuels, there is the creation of jobs for the locals making the economy grow.

Although some of them bring about serious environmental hazards, some like natural gas is clean and healthy. Natural gas produces CO2, and water vapor when it burns, which are the same gases we breath out.

Generally speaking, nonrenewable energy resources have higher capacity factors, which means they produce power close to their relative total capacity.

Disadvantages of Nonrenewable Energy

These are the core cons of using nonrenewable energy.

5. Unfriendly to the Environment

Some nonrenewable energy sources such as fossil fuels are not clean and green. In fact, all fossil fuels contain high levels of carbon, which is a primary contributor to global warming.

For example, oil leaks not environmentally friendly as they can choke the plants where they occur or kill sea animals if it happens in the sea.

Also, when it comes to nuclear energy, it generates radioactive material. The radioactive waste from the plants are extremely toxic and can cause burns and increased cancer risks, bone decay, and blood diseases when exposed to them.

Also, when extracting some of them like natural gas, they cause environmental hazards such as fracturing the rocks which might cause mini-earthquakes. Natural gas extraction may also cause the contamination of water sources and underground reservoirs, which may affect human and animal life.

Also, when extracting coal, the ground might cave, causing underground fires. These fires may sometimes burn for many years. Additionally, when coal burns, it releases multiple toxic gases, as well as pollutants, which negatively affect the environment.

When coal burns, it releases many toxic gases and pollutants into the atmosphere. Mining for coal can also cause the ground to cave in and create underground fires that burn for decades at a time.

See Related: Advantages of Going Green

6. Nonrenewable

Nonrenewable energy sources, especially fossil fuels and nuclear ones, can not be replenished. What this implies is that, since the amounts are finite, or do not replenish fast, if we do not use them well, they might come to an end.

If these sources are depleted, it will take millions of years to form again, unlike renewable sources like the sun, which is always there.

7. They Are Unsustainable

The high rate at which we consume the resources is not sustainable in the long term. Unless we find alternative sources of energy to power our lives, the use of these fuels is unsustainable.

8. Prone to Cause Accidents

Although there are fewer accidents related to nuclear power, when it comes to fossil fuels, accidents are likely to occur. They can never be as safe as renewable sources such as wind and solar would be. In the case of petroleum, fires happen often, especially if tankers crash, or if there are oil leaks.

In addition, if a nuclear accident happens like the one in Fukushima, it can cause devastating effects to both humans and the environment.

9. The Spread of Weaponizable Materials

There is the fear that when it comes too nuclear energy, some people might misuse this source to create weapons. There has been lobbying by the international community against the production of nuclear weaponry.

10. Non-Degradable Residual Products

The fact that the residue products from some nonrenewable energy sources such as fossil fuels are non-degradable means that they pollute the environment.

Conclusion on Pros and Cons of Nonrenewable Energy

Although the world currently relies heavily on the use of nonrenewable sources of energy, it is evident that they can in some cases, cause harmful effects to our environment. Looking at the various pros and cons of nonrenewable energy, we can see that there is a need to also look into ways to increase the use of renewable resources.

I hope this piece provides you with all the necessary information you may require on nonrenewable sources of energy.

What are your thoughts on nonrenewable energy resources? You can share with us those views in the comments section.

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Green Coast is a renewable energy community solely focused on helping people better understand renewable energy technologies and the environment.