Fossil Fuels & Energy

January 2008 update

Introduction

A great deal of information on this subject, much of it disputed, is available on the web under various headings. So much in fact, that it is difficult to absorb and assess it all. This document attempts to present some of this information in a condensed form. It is intended to present a balanced view, but it is difficult to avoid personal opinion intruding at times. 

Coal, oil and natural gas are the main fossil fuels used to generate energy. These materials were created millions of years ago and are regarded as non-renewable, but the evidence is clouded by time and is disputed.

There are those who believe that an energy crisis is imminent and needs urgent action. They tend to be regarded by many as ‘Prophets of Doom’.
Others declare that the crisis is a long way off and are content to leave the problem for future generations to solve. They could be labeled the ‘The Ostrich People’, who believe that ‘If you bury your head in the sand, the problem will go away’.

Who is right? The truth is probably somewhere between these views, but the matter deserves serious consideration. 

All recoverable fossil fuels must eventually be totally consumed. Oil will be the first to go, followed by gas and finally coal. Consider the implications of this. Most of the energy we use today is generated by fossil fuels. There are very few materials and products, which do not consume large quantities of fuel in their production.

Plastics, upon which we have become very dependent, are made from by-products of the fossil fuel industries.

Steel originates as iron ore, which exists in huge quantities in the earth. However it is necessary to extract the iron from the ore.  This is done in a blast furnace and consumes coke, a fossil variant. Iron is a relatively crude and brittle material and is generally converted into the more versatile steel, by blasting oxygen at high pressure into a bath of molten iron. While oxygen is plentiful, it exists in combination with other gases in air, or in chemical combination in, for example, water. Separating the oxygen is energy intensive. If you want stainless, or other specialised versions of steel, you have to convert it again into an alloy. This is generally done in an electric arc furnace. All these procedures consume energy. Steel is only an example of the materials we regard as commonplace, which are heavily dependant on energy.

Fossil fuel is also important for agriculture. Farm machinery and transport use large quantities of oil. Fertilizers and pesticides are largely obtained from fossil sources. Solutions for energy must include a solution for agriculture, but this is a rather special case, which merits a separate discussion. A paragraph dedicated to agriculture is included at the end of this document. 

Diminishing supplies of oil, natural gas and coal will generate phased problems, which will need to be dealt with as they arise. The three types will be considered in separate sections of this document.