Fossil Fuel Uses

We depend on fossil fuels for many aspects of modern life, perhaps more than we may think. Below are a few of the many fossil fuel uses common in today's society.

Much of the energy we consume is derived from fossil fuels--85% according to a United States Department of Energy report. As such, electricity production is one of our largest uses for fossil fuels. Power plants typically burn coal, using the produced heat to drive generators. While coal accounts for more than half of our produced energy, oil and natural gas also contribute a share as well.

Transportation is another of our heavier uses for fossil fuels. Oil is one of the primary ingredients in gasoline and diesel. Transitions to hybrid cars have helped alleviate this need somewhat, though it is not entirely eliminated. The existence of a nationwide network of gas stations and fuel pipelines is a major hurdle to the adoption of alternative forms of energy. While devices plugged into an outlet can accept electricity produced by any means, our transportation infrastructure relies heavily on this specific form. In addition, fuel for aircraft and trains also derives heavily from fossil fuels.

Heating and cooling are another major use of fossil fuels. Heating is either a result of direct fossil fuel use, as is commonly seen in homes with natural gas, or as an indirect result of using electricity produced by burning coal. Cooling also uses fossil fuels in a similar, indirect manner. Heating was once accomplished primarily via coal, though this has since been mostly eliminated due to health and environmental concerns.

We also use fossil fuels and associated by-products in the petrochemical industry. Tar, a petroleum by-product, is used heavily in road and building construction. Petroleum by-products are also used in manufacturing plastics and other synthetic materials in everything from the latest technological gadgets to the clothing we wear. In this manner, fossil fuels have become more than a fuel to drive our industrial society. In some ways, they have become its very lifeblood.