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Advantages and Disadvantages of Fossil Fuels

Fossil fuels are a matter of frequent debate these days, with concerns about our environment rising. However, we have to admit that our use of fossil fuels has some definite advantages, as well as down sides. Many of these advantages come from the fact that we’ve been using them for so long and have a structure in place that works well for them. The term fossil fuels refers to any fuel composed of the remains of prehistoric life, which has over the ages, been reduced to simply hydrocarbons. Oil and coal are the most common of these fuels. Here’s a look at the benefits of fossil fuels, as well as the problems involved in using them.

Advantages of Fossil Fuels

Depending on the fuel, fossil fuels are readily available. While it’s possible that we’re going to have a shortage in the future, it hasn’t happened yet, and new methods of exploiting these fuels are invented all the time. These fuels are easy to use, and a simple combustion process turns them into methods for running a vehicle, generating electricity, or providing heat.

Fossil fuels are currently pretty cheap, as are the methods of generating energy from them. With our existing distribution networks, we can get fossil fuels of all kinds all over the world. That makes it easy to use them, no matter where you are. Many alternative fuels remain expensive, hard to distribute, difficult to get energy from and hard to access, making the switch over extremely difficult.

Disadvantages of Fossil Fuels

Of course, there are disadvantages to these fuels, as well. The biggest is probably the level of pollution they create. This varies by fuel, but oil and coal burning are responsible for acid rain and possibly for changing the world’s climate, as well. We can’t tell to what degree fossil fuel emissions are responsible for climate change, but the possibility is a worrisome one. There’s also the problem where fossil fuels are nonrenewable. It would take millions of years to replace coal, and oil, and we’re using them quickly.

There’s a limited amount of these fuels available, and we’re not actually sure where that limit is. Technologies to get more out of the earth are advancing, but they don’t seem to be doing it as quickly as our demand is growing. In addition, while coal is much more plentiful than oil, extraction of coal can be very unsafe, and is damaging to the environment on a large scale, causing erosion, acidification of the environment, and destruction of wild lands.

Fossil fuels are cheap and convenient, and they’ve been used for long enough that we’re used to depending on them. The vast majority of our infrastructure uses these fuels, and changing over from them will be a difficult process. However, environmental concerns and shortages will likely give us reason to do so. That’s why it’s important to investigate other options as well.