Rising levels of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the main cause of global warming.Īlternative energy sources, such as wind and solar energy, are a possible solution to the depletion of nonrenewable sources. But a major problem with fossil fuels, aside from their being in limited supply, is that burning them releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

We depend on fossil fuels because they are energy-rich and relatively cheap to process. Approximately 80 percent of the total amount of energy used globally each year comes from fossil fuels. Unfortunately, human society is-for the time being-dependent on nonrenewable resources as its primary source of energy. Nuclear energy comes from radioactive elements, mainly uranium, which is extracted from mined ore and then refined into fuel. Since coal is solid, it cannot be extracted in the same manner as crude oil or natural gas it must be dug up from the ground. It is found in fossilized swamps that have been buried beneath layers of sediment. Natural gas can be pumped out through the same wells used for extracting crude oil.Ĭoal is a solid fossil fuel that is used for heating homes and generating power plants. It consists mostly of methane and is found near oil deposits below Earth’s surface. Natural gas is widely used for cooking and for heating homes. It is found in rocks below Earth’s surface and is pumped out through wells.

When fossil fuels are burned, this trapped energy is released.Ĭrude oil is a liquid fuel fossil fuel that is used mostly to produce gasoline and diesel fuel for vehicles, and for the manufacturing of plastics. The energy in the plant and animal remains originally came from the sun through the process of photosynthesis, solar energy is stored in plant tissues, which animals then consume, adding the energy to their own bodies. The plants and animals that became fossil fuels lived in a time called Carboniferous Period, around 300 to 360 million years ago. Pressure and heat worked together to transform the plant and animal remains into crude oil (also known as petroleum), coal, and natural gas. They are found in underground layers of rock and sediment. Fossil fuels were formed within the Earth from dead plants and animals over millions of years-hence the name “fossil” fuels. Oil, natural gas, and coal are collectively called fossil fuels. There are four major types of nonrenewable resources: oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy. This means that nonrenewable resources are limited in supply and cannot be used sustainably. The difference between these two types of resources is that renewable resources can naturally replenish themselves while nonrenewable resources cannot. Renewable and nonrenewable resources are energy sources that human society uses to function on a daily basis.

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