Lesson 57: Energy from Fossil Fuels
In this lesson, we will look at the prevalence of three,
primary fossil fuels. We will also look at the electricity produced from
these energy sources and how energy is used in the United States.
The three primary fuels used for energy to power the world are coal, oil and
natural gas. These energy sources are used for heating, cooking and industrial
production. All of these energy sources are fossil fuels and significant use of
them warms global temperatures, leading to climate change.
It was only after the invention of the internal combustion engine, oil-well
drilling, and the process for refining crude oil into gasoline and liquid
fuels, that commerce and transportation took off… building society as we know
it. This happened in the 1800s. Initially, production involved coal, which was
very polluting and created soot everywhere. After the process of refining crude
oil into gasoline and liquid fuels was perfected, oil and gasoline replaced
coal. Cities, which were very dirty and polluted during the Industrial
Revolution, were cleaner by comparison using oil and gasoline.
Oil became the dominant energy in the United States by 1950. Today,
it supplies 33% of the world's energy supply. Natural gas is found while
looking for oil underground. Natural gas consists mainly of methane and burns
more cleanly than oil or coal.
Energy we get from fossil fuels and
other sources are used to
generate electricity. Electrical power is the amount of work done by an
electric current over a given period of time.
Electricity basically carries energy from
a primary energy source such as coal, oil, gas or waterpower to the point of
use. Generators convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. The power
grid is the network of electric-power generating plants connected by
transmission lines. 1 megawatt of energy is enough to power 800 homes.
Energy demands change during the day. When a power blackout happens due to bad
weather, faulty equipment or crime, there are serious threats to the economy
since people are highly dependent on electricity for productivity and even
heating and cooling. A smart grid is a power grid that is self-monitoring and
can react to trouble quickly with solutions.
Energy use in the United States is varied. A lot of energy is wasted to heat and
loss. Top energy sources used in the United States in order of use from
highest to lowest include:
- petroleum
- biomass
- coal
- natural gas
- geothermal
- wind
- hydro
- nuclear
- solar