Fossil fuels, including coal, oil, and gas, are the biggest cause of climate change, contributing more than 75% of all greenhouse gas emissions and almost 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions.

The heat from the sun gets trapped on Earth as a result of greenhouse gas production. Global warming and climate change result from this. The rate of global warming is presently higher than it has ever been. Weather patterns shift due to warming temperatures and upset the natural order. This puts us and all other life on Earth in grave danger. Before we go further, let’s explain the meaning of fossil fuels.

What are Fossil Fuels?

The carbon-rich deposits we now refer to as fossil fuels were created over thousands of years from the decomposition of plants and other organisms buried beneath silt and rock layers. Coal, oil, and natural gas are non-renewable fuels that provide about 80% of the energy used worldwide. They fuel the production of a large variety of goods, from steel to plastics, and most importantly, the production of energy for power, heat, and transportation.

The major types of fossil fuels are:

• Coal-Sedimentary rock chunks that are either black or brown and might be soft or moderately hard. Depending on how much carbon there is in the coal, it can be divided into four types: anthracite, bituminous, sub-bituminous, and lignite. Coal is mined using surface or underground techniques, and in 2018 China, India, and the United States were coal’s main producers and consumers.
• Oil-Crude oil is a liquid that mostly contains carbon and hydrogen. Depending on its chemical makeup, it can have a variety of colors and viscosities in addition to its common color of black. Crude oil, extracted from offshore and onshore wells, is refined into a range of petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel, and heating oil. The top three oil producers are the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Russia, which account for around 40% of global production.
• Natural gas- Natural gas, an odorless gas predominantly consisting of methane, is frequently found in deposits that, like those for coal and oil, were created millions of years ago by decomposing plant and animal life.

Fossil fuels impact the climate.

When the heat emitted by the Earth is trapped in our atmosphere, the greenhouse effect is produced. Because it is unable to escape, it warms our globe instead. The gases produced by burning fossil fuels first trigger the greenhouse effect by trapping heat in the atmosphere. The rate of climate change will increase as emissions increase.

Significant fossil fuel impacts on the climate are:

• The ocean absorbs at least 25 percent of the carbon dioxide released by fossil fuels, altering the chemistry of the water (pH). The rising acidity makes it more difficult for marine species to form coral skeletons and shells.
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration asserts that the combustion of fossil fuels is causing climate change, causing more frequent and severe extreme weather events resulting in different disasters—the cause of weather-related catastrophes like wildfires, hurricanes, windstorms, flooding, and droughts.
• Global sea levels are rising due to glaciers and land-based ice sheets melting due to oceanic and atmospheric warming brought on by climate change. Sea levels have increased by about 9 inches, leading to more frequent floods, destructive storm surges, and saltwater intrusion.

Environmental impact

It’s important to remember that fossil fuels affect the environment beyond only amplifying the Earth’s greenhouse effect. In addition, poisonous gases and particles from fossil fuels, such as nitrous oxide and methane, are the primary causes of global air pollution-related mortality and hurt human health. The condition of the seas is impacted by fossil fuels as well. Oceans quickly become more acidic due to absorbing significant carbon dioxide emissions. At the same time, calcium carbonate levels—crucial for marine life—are dropping, endangering the oceans’ biodiversity.

Health impact

The health effects of air pollution from burning fossil fuels can include asthma, cancer, heart disease, and early mortality. The combustion of the gasoline additives benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene produces ultra-fine particles and aromatic hydrocarbons, both of which are carcinogens. One in five deaths worldwide is caused by pollution from fossil fuels.

Takeaway

To mitigate the worst effects of climate change, governments worldwide are currently working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels. These initiatives often concentrate on substituting fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, and electrifying industries like buildings and transportation.

Yet, many sources of carbon emissions, like current coal and natural gas-fired power plants, are already fixed. Many contend that in addition to initiatives focused on replacing fossil fuels, we also need to remove carbon from the atmosphere through technologies like carbon capture, in which emissions are diverted to underground storage or regenerated before they reach the atmosphere.

The impact of fossil fuels on the climate, environment, and health has called for several measures to decarbonize and make the globe safe for humans and wildlife. The world has to reach a state of net zero emission, which can only be possible by the general employment of clean and renewable energy that will limit the consumption and reliance on fossil fuels in all sectors.