Research
Source: Wikipedia
Fossil Fuels
Fossil
fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of
buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil
fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years.
Fossil fuels contain high percentages of carbon and include coal, petroleum,
and natural gas. They range from volatile materials with low carbon hydrogen
ratios like methane, to liquid petroleum to nonvolatile materials composed of
almost pure carbon, like anthracite coal. Methane can be found in hydrocarbon
fields, alone, associated with oil, or in the form of methane clathrates. The
theory that fossil fuels formed from the fossilized remains of dead plants by exposure to heat and pressure in the
Earth's crust over millions of years was
first introduced by Georg Agricola in 1556 and later by Mikhail Lomonosov in
the 18th century.
The Energy Information Administration
estimates that in 2007 the primary sources of energy consisted of petroleum
36.0%, coal 27.4%, and natural gas 23.0%, amounting to an 86.4% share for
fossil fuels in primary energy consumption in the world. Non-fossil sources in
2006 included hydroelectric 6.3%, nuclear 8.5%, and others (geothermal, solar,
tidal, wind,wood, waste) amounting to 0.9%. World energy consumption was
growing about 2.3% per year.
Fossil fuels are non-renewable resources
because they take millions of years to form, and reserves are being depleted
much faster than new ones are being made. The production and use of fossil
fuels raise environmental concerns. A global movement towards the generation of
renewable energy is therefore under way to help meet increased energy needs.
The burning of fossil fuels produces
around 21.3 billion tonnes (21.3 gigatonnes) of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year,
but it is estimated that natural processes can only absorb about half of that
amount, so there is a net increase of 10.65 billion tonnes of atmospheric
carbon dioxide per year (one tonne of atmospheric carbon is equivalent to 44/12
or 3.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide). Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases
that enhances radiative forcing and contributes to global warming, causing the
average surface temperature of the Earth to rise in response, which the vast
majority of climate scientists agree will cause major adverse effects.
Artist’s
Statement
Firstly,
the background chosen is yellow to resemble the colour of petrol. The petrol
pump takes one side to show a source for people to get fuel. This is considered
the thing that controls society today. The person next to the petrol pump is
pumping petrol into his head because in society, whatever happens to petrol
price, tax or whatsoever will have big affects on society. This shows today’s
society is literally running on fuel.
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