Introduction
Fossil fuel is undoubtedly one of the significant energy sources in the world. This, however, does not eliminate this source of heat as a significant concern to the environment in terms of air pollution and global warming. Fossil fuel has been defined by Bergman (2018) as energy resources that are extracted from dead organisms buried underneath to release energy. Fossil fuels are the primary forms of fossil fuels. These fossil fuels tend to absorb energy in molecular atoms making the bonds. Asongu et al. (2020) state that fossil fuels, when burned, will provide heat which helps in electricity generation, in powering engines, and for domestic purposes such as cooking.
Background
Plants and animals decompose to produce fossil fuels found in the Earth’s crust which contain carbon and hydrogen, which can be used to generate energy when burned. The research by Xia and Wang (2020) elucidates that there has been a worldwide cry from environmentalists and key decision-makers in the recent past. There has been a concern about using fossil fuel for the following reasons: fossil fuel negatively affects the environment, extraction of fossils land degradation, and fossil fuel causes sickness and death and affects the oceans and waterways.
Impact on the Environment
The study by Gani (2021) outlines that fossil fuel negatively affects the environment due to the emission of harmful substances such as carbon (IV) oxide. These substances result in climate change which has become a worldwide concern. Further, the emission of these dangerous gases may negatively affect the ecosystem by causing making some organisms extinct hence reducing food production. Solarin’s (2020) research depicts that land degradation is another primary concern of fossil fuels. Land degradation affects the landscape. During the extraction of fossil fuel, the landscape is affected, which affects the pipelines and road networks and further loses the habitat for some animals—the extraction of fossil fuel results in water pollution. Solarin (2020) posits that oceans and waterways are threatened during the extraction of fossils. All these activities involved in fossil fuels may result in oil spillage, polluting the water, and affecting aquatic life. Metallic minerals also pollute water during fossil fuel extraction.
The extraction of fossil fuel is the primary cause of sickness and death, as elucidated by Coady et al. (2017). Their research on environmental damage and fossil fuel stated that good health is key to any person’s life. Fossil fuel extraction may lead to ill health and health, which may finally result in death. Spillage of oil into water bodies causes harm to aquatic life. The extraction of fossil fuel may also interfere with the living things’ habitat.
Possible Solutions to Using Fossil Fuel
Utilizing renewable energies such as geothermal, biomass wind, and solar, as elucidated by Solarin (2020), are some of the possible solutions to curb climate change that results from the emission of fossil fuels into the environment. Recycling and responsible consumption are crucial to curbing environmental damage caused by fossil fuel extraction. Chemicals emitted to water bodies will reduce hence helping in curbing climate change. Coady et al. (2017) emphasize using sustainable agriculture, such as solar energy, in curbing climate change caused by the emission of dangerous gases to the environment. The study by Gani (2021) outlines the need for promoting energy efficiency through the use of solar energy, which is environmentally friendly.
References
Asongu, S. A., Agboola, M. O., Alola, A. A., & Bekun, F. V. (2020). The criticality of growth, urbanization, electricity, and fossil fuel consumption to environmental sustainability in Africa. The Science of the total environment, 712, 136376. Web.
Bergman, N. (2018). Impacts of the fossil fuel divestment movement: Effects on finance, policy and public discourse. Sustainability, 10(7), 2529. Web.
Coady, D., Parry, I., Sears, L., & Shang, B. (2017). How large are global fossil fuel subsidies? World Development, 91, 11-27. Web.
Gani, A. (2021). Fossil fuel energy and environmental performance in an extended STIRPAT model. Journal of Cleaner Production, 297, 126526. Web.
Gaulin, N., & Le Billon, P. (2020). Climate change and fossil fuel production cuts: assessing global supply-side constraints and policy implications. Climate Policy, 20(8), 888-901. Web.
Solarin, S. A. (2020). An environmental impact assessment of fossil fuel subsidies in emerging and developing economies. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 85, 106443. Web.
Xia, C., & Wang, Z. (2020). The effect of fossil fuel and hydropower on carbon dioxide emissions: EKC validation with structural breaks. Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management, 28(1), 36-47. Web.