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Fossil fuels: Difference between revisions
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===Climate change=== | ===Climate change=== | ||
{{basically|Major problem|bad}} | {{basically|Major problem|bad}} | ||
Burning fossil fuels is the main cause of [[climate change]], due to the CO<sub>2</sub> it releases into the atmosphere. | [[File:fossil-fuels-ghg-by-energy.png|thumb|For the same amount of [[energy]], coal emits more carbon than oil, and oil emits more carbon than natural gas.]] | ||
< | [[File:Emissions-by-sector-–-pie-charts.png|thumb|left|73% of all [[greenhouse gas]] emissions are due to burning fossil fuels.]] | ||
'''Burning fossil fuels is the main cause of [[climate change]], due to the CO<sub>2</sub> it releases into the atmosphere.'''<br /> | |||
<small>And it's unlikely that [[carbon capture and storage]] would ever be able to store that much CO<sub>2</sub> in the ground.</small> | |||
< | <div style="clear:both"></div> | ||
===Other pollution=== | ===Other pollution=== | ||
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Mitigation | Mitigation | ||
* Cars and trucks already have catalytic converters that eliminate some of this pollution - but not all of it. | * Cars and trucks already have catalytic converters that eliminate some of this pollution - but not all of it. | ||
* For coal power plants, [[clean coal|newer technologies]] could avoid most of this pollution (but | * For coal power plants, [[clean coal|newer technologies]] could avoid most of this pollution (but not the CO<sub>2</sub> that causes climate change). | ||
===Scarcity=== | ===Scarcity=== | ||
{{basically|Eventual problem}} | {{basically|Eventual problem}} | ||
Oil reserves are [[peak oil|expected to run out]] in less than a century, by most estimates. | Oil reserves are [[peak oil|expected to run out]] in less than a century, by most estimates. Coal and natural gas are similar. {{qn}} | ||
Fossil fuels are not considered renewable{{x|despite being fossilized organic matter that was originally dead plants & animals}}, because existing oil reserves took millions of years to form. | Fossil fuels are not considered renewable{{x|despite being fossilized organic matter that was originally dead plants & animals}}, because existing oil reserves took millions of years to form. | ||
Globally, per person, there is about 31 tonnes of oil (recoverable) somewhere in the Earth | {{dp | ||
|<nowiki>oil.reserves</nowiki> | |||
|<nowiki>1732 billion barrels oil</nowiki> | |||
|<nowiki>Global petroleum reserves</nowiki> | |||
|<nowiki>"Global proved oil reserves were 1732 billion barrels at the end of 2020 , down 2 billion barrels versus 2019. The global R/P ratio shows that oil reserves in 2020 accounted for over 50 years of current production. OPEC holds 70.2% of global reserves."</nowiki><br /><nowiki> | |||
Oil | Energy economics | Home - BP</nowiki><br /><nowiki> | |||
www.bp.com › energy-economics › statistical-review-of-world-energy › oil </nowiki> | |||
}} | |||
{{dp | |||
|<nowiki>oil.production</nowiki> | |||
|<nowiki>4439 megatonnes/year</nowiki> | |||
|<nowiki>Crude oil production, worldwide</nowiki> | |||
|<nowiki>Using data from 2019.</nowiki><br /><nowiki> | |||
</nowiki><br /><nowiki> | |||
Source: Key World Energy Statistics 2020 (IEA report)</nowiki> | |||
}} | |||
{{dp | |||
|<nowiki>world.population</nowiki> | |||
|<nowiki>8 billion</nowiki> | |||
|<nowiki>Number of people alive today, globally</nowiki> | |||
|<nowiki>https://www.unfpa.org/data/world-population-dashboard</nowiki><br /><nowiki> | |||
Last updated in 2023</nowiki> | |||
}} | |||
Globally, per person, there is about 31 tonnes of oil (recoverable) somewhere in the Earth {{p|{{calc|oil.reserves|(tonnes per capita)(world.population)}} }}. Average production is about 1.5 kg/day per person {{p|{{calc|oil.production|(kg/day per capita)(world.population)}} }}. Rich countries consume a lot more, poor countries use a lot less. | |||
==Non-energy usage== | ==Non-energy usage== | ||
Fossil fuels are also used in making [[plastic]], most of which is [[packaging|disposable]]. Other uses include making thousands of different chemicals | * Fossil fuels are also used in making [[plastic]], most of which is [[packaging|disposable]]. | ||
* Other uses include making thousands of different chemicals. This together adds up to only a small fraction of fossil fuel consumption, and does not contribute significantly to climate change. {{qn}} | |||
<!-- TODO: elaborate and split into subsections "plastic" and "other" --> | <!-- TODO: elaborate and split into subsections "plastic" and "other" --> | ||
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Fossil fuels can also be used to make [[hydrogen gas]]. | Fossil fuels can also be used to make [[hydrogen gas]]. | ||
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