In this blog post, we will look at the necessity and limitations of fossil energy and how we can respond to sustainability and environmental issues.

 

Definition and general theory of fossil energy

The English word “energy” means the ability to do something in physics. In addition, an energy source is needed to create physical energy, and when referring to it, it is also used in the sense of an energy source, such as nuclear energy or hydroelectric energy, depending on the type of energy source. These energy sources are closely linked to the development of human civilization and play an essential role in our lives in different ways.
Fossil energy is one of these energy sources, and it is generally used to refer to fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are one of the many energy sources used by humans, and they are energy resources created by the remains of organisms that once lived on Earth. Fossil energy sources include coal, oil, natural gas, bituminous iron ore, tar sands, and oil sands. It is called fossil energy because it shares the same principles of formation as the fossils we commonly know.
Fossil fuels began to be used as physical energy after the steam engine became widespread during the Industrial Revolution in the UK. This period was not just a time of technological and mechanical development, but also a revolutionary turning point that fundamentally changed the way people lived. Since then, as science has advanced, technologies for searching for buried fossil fuels, as well as technologies for mining and drilling, have been invented, as well as technologies for refining from natural state, technologies for transporting to where it is needed, and technologies for maximizing the efficiency of converting fuel into energy. Based on these technological advancements, fossil fuels currently account for the largest share of the means by which humans obtain energy.
Fossil fuels play an indispensable role in numerous industrial sectors due to their high efficiency and stability as an energy source. It is used for a variety of purposes, including power generation, transportation fuel, and heating, and is of great economic importance. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that the main energy resources are 36.0% oil, 27.4% coal, and 23.0% natural gas, accounting for 86.4% of the world’s major energy consumption. In addition, as the population increases, the consumption of fossil energy is on an annual increase. As fossil fuels account for a huge proportion of human energy production, the issue of fossil energy has an impact on all aspects of human life. Among fossil fuels, oil has a significant impact on the economic activities of ordinary consumers, and fluctuations in oil prices have become an important indicator of the economy.

 

The formation process and characteristics of coal

Coal is a fossilized plant that was buried underground in ancient times, but there are two theories about the process of its burial. One is the non-immobile theory, which states that the plant was moved to a certain place by a flood or other cause and then buried, and the other is the original-deposit theory, which states that the plant was deposited and buried in the place where it was created. Both theories suggest that it took a long time for the thick coal layer to form over a large area, and that the location was formed in a sedimentary basin where the ground was slowly subsiding. After that, the subsidence of the ground progressed at a rapid pace, and the process of covering the ground with sediment and then regrowing vegetation was repeated several times, forming a coal layer and burying it deep underground.
The plants that formed coal are mainly terrestrial plants rather than aquatic plants, and about one-third of the world’s coal seams are from the Paleozoic era (500 million to 200 million years ago), with most of the coal in Europe, North America, and the Asian continent belonging to this era. Coal has the advantage of being a relatively inexpensive energy source, but it has the disadvantage of being difficult to mine and transport, and of producing low amounts of heat when burned. In addition, air pollutants generated during the combustion of coal can have serious impacts on the environment and human health.

 

The process and characteristics of petroleum

There are two theories about the origin of oil: the abiotic theory, which says that methane was formed when iron ore and water reacted underground, and the biogenic theory, which says that oil was formed after organic matter, a living organism, was buried with sediments and then subjected to thermal maturation. Currently, the biogenic theory is becoming the prevailing theory. Therefore, the possibility of oil is determined by the amount of organisms buried in a certain period and place, and the degree of thermal maturation.
According to the biogenic theory, organic matter is buried underground and transformed into oil or coal. Depending on the type of organic matter, it is divided into oil and coal, and oil is further divided into oil and gas depending on the type of organic matter and underground pressure and temperature. In general, when vegetable plankton and algae accumulate in large quantities in the sedimentary environment of the continental shelf, oil is produced when they mature at a temperature of 60 to 130 degrees Celsius, which is lower than the metamorphic temperature of the rock, and gas is produced at temperatures above that. And when terrestrial plants are depressed in large quantities and mature in the sedimentary environment on land, coal is produced.
When organic matter is buried with sediments, source rock, the source material of petroleum, is created. The rock in which the petroleum formed here moves and accumulates is called reservoir rock, and the rock that covers the upper part to prevent the petroleum accumulated in this way from moving to another place is called a cap rock. Oil requires source rock to exist, and 85% of the world’s source rock is black shale formed from the Upper Jurassic to the Lower Cretaceous.
In 1970, Moody surveyed more than 500 million barrels of oil and gas fields and announced that 48% of the giant oil fields were distributed in the Mesozoic Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, and 39% in the Cenozoic Tertiary period, and that the probability of the oil fields forming a reservoir structure being located on the continental shelf was the highest. A reservoir is a geological condition that accumulates oil or gas generated from underground source rocks. The advantages of oil are that it is easy to transport and handle from development to use due to its liquid nature, it has a high calorific value, and it can be processed for various uses in modern industry. On the other hand, the disadvantage is that the price is high because the reserves are unevenly distributed by country and the amount is small compared to coal.

 

The process and characteristics of natural gas generation

Natural gas is generated in a similar process to coal, and is sometimes produced together with oil, but is mostly produced separately. The main component of natural gas is methane gas, which is highly valued as an energy source because it produces almost no pollutants when burned. It is also notable for its low price and the fact that it is lighter than air, making it less dangerous if it leaks. Natural gas is widely used as city gas and industrial fuel, and demand is increasing as awareness of it as a clean energy source spreads.
However, natural gas has the disadvantage of being difficult to detect and inconvenient to transport and handle due to its gaseous nature. Advanced technology is required to use natural gas effectively, which can result in additional costs.

 

The first problem with using fossil energy – Limited reserves

As can be seen in the process of generating fossil energy, the cycle is more than millions of years long, which is why it is classified as a non-renewable resource. Therefore, if we use up the limited fossil energy generated in the limited space of the earth without any plan, we will eventually run out of fossil energy and will no longer be able to generate energy. This concern is one of the reasons for emphasizing the need for long-term management of energy resources and sustainable development.

 

The second problem of using fossil energy – environmental pollution

When fossil fuels are converted into energy, a significant amount of carbon dioxide is produced, which is not enough for the plants on Earth to absorb. Therefore, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will continue to increase, and many scientists argue that this increase in carbon dioxide is causing global warming. In addition to the abnormal weather caused by global warming, various unpredictable problems can occur. In addition, the combustion of fossil fuels produces nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides, which dissolve in rainwater and become acid rain, increasing the acidity of the soil and causing environmental problems such as corrosion of historical sites.

 

The direction of future energy and the need to replace fossil fuels

Modern society is focusing on developing various energy sources that can replace fossil fuels. Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and geothermal power are emerging as alternatives that can overcome the limitations of fossil fuels. These new and renewable energy sources enable a sustainable energy supply while minimizing the negative impact on the environment, and governments and companies around the world are working to develop technologies and expand infrastructure for this.
In particular, reducing the consumption of fossil energy and switching to clean energy is essential to maximize energy efficiency and strengthen environmental protection. This will be an essential choice to protect the global environment and pass on a healthy planet to future generations, beyond a simple energy transition. Discussions on energy transition and sustainability have become a global topic, and as these discussions are gradually taking shape, the future energy paradigm is changing.