Fossil Fuels – FAQs

Q. What exactly is fossil fuel?
A. The dead remains of plants and animals are turned into fossils by exposure to the sun and pressure of the Earth's crust over millions of years. Over time, a chemical alteration takes place in the pressurized organic matter, changing into liquids and gases.

Q. How many different types of fossil fuels are there?
A. To date, we know of three separate ways in which fossil fuels have distinguished themselves and been heavily utilized for energy purposes; petroleum, coal and natural gas.
Q. Where are most of the fossil fuels found?

A. Most fossil fuels that have been transformed into hydrocarbons are found on the ocean floor or what used to be the ocean floor when creatures roamed the earth and seas millions of years ago. Their fossils were embedded in rock and pressurized, causing a metabolic change with the help of their surroundings.

Q. Why do we think that we will run out of fossil fuels?
A. Since 1949, the Energy Information Administration has been tracking data concerning usage, availability, and reserves. Our world's fossil fuels will be depleted long before the planet has a chance to create more.

Q. Our government talks about oil reserves. What exactly is this?
A. Reserves of potential oil, measured by barrels are estimated fossil fuel quantities that could or could not be available for processing according to geologic and engineering data. There is no area where we have oil waiting to be refined nor is there any audited data on whether or not each country is being truthful about their reserves.

Q. How soon do experts say that the world will run out of fossil fuels?
A. According to the increase of use, calculations of future generations and studied reservoirs of geometric climates for future fossil fuel development, an overall estimate of 7-50 years.

Q. Why do people believe that we are harming the environment with fossil fuel?
A. Byproducts that form from the burning of fossil fuels exist in our air for indefinite periods of time and travel hundreds of miles. Some of these tiny particles enter our lungs or our bloodstream and can be dangerous leading to respiratory diseases when exposed for a long time.

There is much to learn about the evolution of fossil fuels and the facts of their existence. For more answers to your questions, visit informative websites on the history of fossil fuel and how they are formed.