Digging into the cause

The students of Grade 5 chose to research, find out, investigate and communicate how the impact of the overuse of fossil fuels will destroy our planet.

Overuse of fossil Fuel will destroy our planet

By Radhika Parab

The earth is a beautiful place to live in, but we people are destroying it by overuse of fossil fuel.  How many things we take it for granted.  Fossil fuels, coal and crude oil have been used for decades to generate steam, electricity, power, transportation and to produce many of the goods we rely on. They are the main source of energy used. They came from the organic remains of prehistoric plants and animals. In fact, some of the plants and animals that fossil are as much 650 billion years old, which means it makes a very long time to regenerate for this type of energy. Fossil fuels are nonrenewable resource which means that they are finite and we will eventually run out of them. We use them faster than they could be possibly replaced. The overuse of fossil fuel is the most pressing environmental issue because through the extraction they destroy environment. 

           

Fossil fuels are non-renewable materials such as petroleum (oil and gas) and coal. In addition to causing local air pollution, the burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and contributes to climate change. Moreover, many fossil fuels are reaching their "peak" production, making extraction too expensive. For these reasons, we have to control —if not end—our use of these materials. We can do our part through the “three Rs” (reducing, reusing, and recycling), conserving energy, and making smart transportation choices.

Action:

Reuse plastics.

Refuse plastic as often as possible    

Buy locally.

Recycle what we can’t reduce or reuse

Reduce our use of plastic. 

Conserving energy:  

Use energy efficient light bulbs

Reduce lighting use.

Turn down small appliances and electronics.

Power up with renewable.

Smart transportation choices

Choose zero-carbon transportation. 

Use public Transportation.

Bibliography: http://www.wikihow.com/Conserve-Fossil-Fuels#_note-1

Overuse of fossil Fuel will destroy our planet

By Rahul Bajaj

As you all know fossil fuels are   non-renewable sources of energy. The types of fossil fuel generally are coal, oil, and natural gas.

 It takes millions of years to create fossil fuel which we are now using rapidly. Fossil fuel was even found in the Iron Age but its exploitation started in the Industrial Age.

When we burn fossil fuels, carbon dioxide gas is released in the atmosphere. This is also known as greenhouse gas. This gas traps the heat of the sun and does not let it escape so the temperature of the earth has started to rise. You all must have noticed that the summers are getting more hotter year after year. Because of this, the glaciers in the Antarctic are melting at a very fast rate. If this continues to happen, the sea levels will rise drastically and lot of coastal cities will be eventually submerged underwater.

We need to act fast to save Earth by using other forms of energy to survive.

My action

Use public transport, if a far distance use a car if not walk it up.

What are others doing to save fossil fuels

Sakri Solar Plant, Maharashtra

Sakri Solar Power Plant is the largest solar power plant in Maharashtra, located at Dhule district in Maharashtra. The 125 MW Shivajinagar Sakri solar plant is also one of the largest of its kind solar projects in the country.

Overuse of fossil Fuel will destroy our planet

By Abhishek Chandra

At present 70% of the world’s energy comes from burning fossil fuel (coal, oil and natural gas). But, their over-consumption can lead to serious environmental issue such as air pollution. All living things use carbon and store carbon. Millions of years ago, when plants and animals died, some were buried, crushed and fossilised under the ground. Oil, natural gas (derived from Dead Sea creatures) and coal (derived from plant and animal) are formed from these fossilized remains – this is why they are called fossil fuel. They are non-renewable source of energy as they derived from pre-historic fossils and would not be available once they are fully used. Their sources are limited and they are depleting at a faster rate. We burn them to run our car engine, heat our homes, power our machinery and create electricity. The burning of fossil fuel creates pollution that not only can harm health but also foster climate change. Fossil fuel release carbon-dioxide, nitrous oxide, sulphur-dioxide, carbon-monoxide, methane etc.

Disadvantage of fossil fuel          

Fossil fuels are one of the greatest threats to the environment today contributes heavily to global warming, the pollution of air, water and land, as well as the production of the acid rain, which can harm almost all organism. When we burn coal, gas or oil, millions of years worth of stored carbon enters the atmosphere in seconds and make CO₂. This extra carbon disrupts the natural cycle. The burning of fossil fuel produces around 21.3 billion tonnes of CO₂ per year.

(1)    Environmental Hazards

Environmental pollution is one of the major disadvantages of fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels, the major cause of global warming, also causes air pollution. Exhaust gases from factories cars and other vehicles contain green house gases that trap heat in our atmosphere. As well as making Earth warmer, some of these gases create smog and acid rain. When fossil fuels are burnt, they release greenhouse gases like CO₂, Methane and nitrous oxide. CO₂ is one of the primary gases, responsible for global warming. Excess amount of green house gas will cause global warming. With more greenhouse gases in the air, Earth is becoming warmer. As a result, Earth’s climate is changing. Rise in temperature of Earth has resulted in melting of polar ice caps, flooding of low lying areas and rise in sea level. If such condition continues our Earth might face some serious consequences in near future. Scientists have discovered that air pollution from burning of fossil fuels is the major cause of acid rain. The main chemicals in air pollution that create acid rain are Sulphur-dioxide and Nitrous oxide. Acid rain is a rain that is usually acidic and can affect the environment. It contains high levels of hydrogen ions. It can have effects on plants, aquatic animals and infrastructure. Acid rain affects the fresh water ponds and lakes and destroys the aquatic life as some species of fishes are rare and may extinct.

(2)    Effect of Human Health

Air pollution from burning fossil fuels products many dangerous compounds and small airborne particles that hurt our health. They can cause lung and skin cancer, shortness of breath, wheezing, chronic asthma, cardiovascular diseases and premature death.

Overuse of fossil Fuel will destroy our planet

By Rahi Shah

ALL THE MACHINES OF MODERN LIFE REQUIRE ENERGY to make them run .About 90% of that energy comes from FOSSIL FUELS. Fossil fuels are formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms containing  energy originating  in ancient photosynthesis. Fossil fuels include petroleum oil, coal and natural gas. Although fossil fuels are continually being formed  via natural  processes, They are generally considered to be non renewable sources because they take millions of  years to form.

Fossil fuels are used to fuel cars and airplanes ,power electricity plants and heat our homes. They are also used to make medicines,cosmetics,plastics ,synthetic fabrics and lubricants. The shoes you wear are a product made of oil. Even the sunglasses,tyres,tennis balls and televisions are all products of oil and gas. The highest consumption rate in todays world is of fossil fuel. They are man’s best friend. What comes to her mind when we think of fuel? Is may be gasoline for our car or may be food which is fuel for our body etc so the bottom line is that fuel is absolutely a necessary part of everyone’s daily life. Fossil fuels provide many benefits like :

1)   Large amount of concentrated energy for a relatively low cost

2) Their abundance allows power plants to be fuelled by then creating a great deal of electricity for the world.

3)  Natural gas is a clean fuel and highly efficient and is used by businesses and residential homes for heating ,cooking and drying  clothes.

4)   Also oil can be transported through use of  pipes allowing it to be transported relatively easily.

Though fossil fuels are beneficial and valuable they are not without flaws. Some of the disadvantages include:

1)   They are non renewable and are destined to deplete in the near future.

2)   Environmental hazards such as oil spills when oil tankers experience leaks. Crude oil contains toxic chemicals which pollutes the air

3)   Pollution is a major disadvantage because fossil fuels give off carbon dioxide which when burned give a green house gases thus contributing to global warming.

4)   There is a huge impact on global health as emissions of green house gases and other toxic elements as a result of combustion can cause serious health complications such as chronic asthama and low lung functioning.

5)   Fossil fuels need a lot of reserves as the coal power plants requires huge supply of coal to produce large amount of energy on constant basis.

6)   They are highly susceptible to price fluctuation and market manipulation.

DEPLETION OF FOSSIL FUELS

The growing demand for urbanization especially in underdeveloped and developing countries has resulted in a growing fear of fossil fuel extinction. Some of the causes includes:

1)   Demand is greater than supply.

2)   Growing population and greedy lifestyle.

3)   Global warming and electricity reliant generation.

4)   Human beings are a root cause of this. They exploit natural resources for industrial and household purposes.

Since the current fossil fuel use seems to be altering the global climate and causing pollution and is on the verge of depletion, a safe environmentally friendly and economically viable energy pathway will sustain human progress into distant future. We should increase our capacity to rely on renewable sources like solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal energies and biomass fuels. Fossil fuels exist in limited amounts and when they are all used there will be none left, so we need to act smart and began to utilize the energy more efficiently, we can reduce the world’s energy needs putting us far down the path to saving the climate.

Overuse of fossil Fuel will destroy our planet

By  Avaneesh Nagre

Fossil fuels have been used since humans have inhabited earth. It was first used as a way to create fire in order to cook food, but nowadays fossil fuels are usually used to power cars and create electricity. The more fossil fuels are used the more pollution are caused.Due to this more than one million people die in a year mainly in  China,India and parts of Africa!

If we don't take any action about this many things in our daily lives may change,like for example we may have to put on surgical masks when we go outside,which is already quite common in China (the biggest polluter in the world.) However something's that we use in our daily lives are causing pollution. Take for example our stoves there basically flamethrowers as in the making of a stove in a factory they create 3 times more pollution than a regular factory. Which is another reason for deaths caused by pollution.

Due to the overuse of fossil fuels global warming has been created.

Global warming is created when factories,cars etc release harmful gases into the air which then weakens the Ozone layer. The Ozone layer is the layer that protects us from the Sun's Harmful UV rays so if it's weakened then the sun’s UV rays will con into earth and make it warmer which is already happening. Due to this heatwaves in California, New South Wales, British Columbia and Jakarta combined have had about 800,000 people die and the number is growing.

Water the most precious thing for any life but it is also.Being affected in a way you may have not think of. 7% of all earths water is freshwater out of that 7% 80% is frozen so when factories pollute not just air but water than they could be polluting the 20% liquid, freshwater and  be melting the ice that makes majority of freshwater and turning it into dirty saltwater, plus rivers are also slowly drying up due to the hot sun.

Overuse of fossil Fuel will destroy our planet

By  Khushi Bhatia

As society and the technology develop, most of the power to be used might be electricity. An
unavoidable reality is that fossil fuels such as coals are deeply embedded in our energy
system. In recent times, this kind of power has mostly come from the fossil fuels which are
formed from prehistoric plants and animals that lived hundreds of millions of years ago.
Soon, there might be no more fossil fuels if they are used without limit and human could not
find new resources to use instead of fossil fuel.

Due to the fact that the fossil fuels are cheap to use and could bring high profits for big
companies, they are overused. Although there are some new resources found to use, the
demand of fossil fuels will grow, which is not as fast as it did in the past.


Some problems happened because of the overuse of fossil fuels. It has been widely known
that not only large amount of energy, but some harmful gases as well are released, when
fossil fuels are burned to create the energy. The environment has already been polluted a lot
as coal and oil produce plenty of carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide. There might be more
carbon dioxide which is known as one of the direct factors to lead to the global warming if more fossil fuels are burnt. Conventional oil and natural gas extraction are linked to such a lot earthquakes. Fracking, which is one of the most common ways to exploit the oil and natural gas, can lead to earthquakes.

Although some problems have influenced humans’ daily life, the future of the electric
energy is optimistic. As the technology develops, several new resources appear available. Officially, renewable energy is defined as energy coming from sources which could be regenerated, such as wind power, water power, and solar power. Improving the technology of generators to raise efficiency might be another solution to the problem. It seems to be easier to improve the operating efficiency of existing electric generators than find out a new resource to use instead of fossil fuel.

It can be seen that the problem of the overuse of the fossil fuels has already
influenced humans’ daily life a lot. This essay has showed the drawbacks of
overusing fossil fuels and some effective solutions related to the problem. Both
renewable energy and the energy internet might be the most significant things in the
area of the electricity generating, distributing and storing. Also, the improvement of
the generators ought to be paid more attention so that less fossil fuels would be

exploited and less natural hazard would happen.

Overuse of fossil Fuel will destroy our planet

By  Vihaan Grover

A fossil fuel is a fuel formed by natural processes, such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms, containing energy originating in ancient photosynthesis. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years. Fossil fuels contain high percentages of carbon.

Fossil Fuels are one of the main reasons in the decline of animal life.It is also affecting our precious earth and it’s resources.See using fossil fuels is something that can cause animal extinction and we people depend on these animals as food.If this continues then all the resources formed 650 million ago will be depleted and our earth will have major effects on it.

Firstly the earth will start to become radioactive as the gases released will mainly be radioactive because it throws out so much harmful gas it is possible that we can be killed from radiation.Secondly the carbon dioxide will create a bigger greenhouse effect causing more of global warming which is bad because if the polar ice sheets melt then they will cause the sea levels to rise by 4.6 meters as Antarctica itself hold ¼ of the  freshwater on earth and if it all melts then the sea level will rise by 2.0 meters.Thirdly over-cropping and loss of land will cause a human extinction because we can’t survive without land, that’s where we evolved as  ..Fourthly the increase in water will move into land causing the loss of habitat for marine life and land mammals.

The over-usage of fossil fuels can be dangerous so we should start preventing it here are some tips to decrease the affects on earth from the usage of fossil fuels.Firstly plant some trees nearby a factory around you in this way the trees can inhale the harmful gases and leave oxygen that will help growing lush green trees again.Secondly recycle materials like plastic, paper, bottles,etc.Thirdly start living green meaning stop using that produces gas like cars and use less electricity which will decrease the production of fossil fuel usage. Fourthly start carpooling like using a bus and stop using private vehicles when not in need.Fifthly you should use things that you already have and don’t buy things that you already have These things are bad for the society so we better stop using it before it’s too late as we predict the resources will deplete in around 33 years so it is on you what steps you take towards which might be a path towards heaven or a path towards hell.

Overuse of fossil Fuel will destroy our planet

By  Ethan Costa

Fossil fuels is a term used to describe a group of energy sources that were formed when ancient plants and organisms are subjected to pressure and heat over millions of years and turn into fossils. At that time the land was covered with marshes filled with microorganisms, ferns, trees, and other large leafy plants. As they died, they sank to the bottom of the swamps and oceans and formed layers of spongy material called peat. Over the years, this peat was covered in sediments, which converted the peat into sedimentary rocks. These rocks contained the fossils of the dead plants and organisms that had formed the peat. 

There are 3 major types of fossil fuels :

•Coal - A fossil fuel formed from ferns, plants, and leaves that have hardened due to pressure and heat. 

•Oil - A fossil fuel that is formed from smaller organisms like zooplankton and algae. 

•Natural Gas - It undergoes the same process as oil but takes longer and needs more pressure and heat. 

Together oil,coal,and natural gas are the 3 main reasons we and our planet are in this state, so...

                              " STOP THE  FUEL,   ♻

                                    AND LET THE EARTH RULE" 

Overuse of fossil Fuel will destroy our planet

By  Saisha Nimbalkar

Fossil fuels are dangerous, they are taking away our fresh air, harming our system and worst if all can cause acid rain, but on the other hand our eco -friendly energy sources aren’t as powerful as fossil fuels but they may be safer and more eco-friendly but since we have been using fossil fuels since humans were able to talk it will be hard to change to a less powerful energy source.

Although it is a really big risk when using fossil fuels as much as we do is an even bigger risk. People who still use fossil fuels think that they are using the best source, while it’s still a good energy source is it a good source for our nature? According to the IEA clean coal centre, there are over 2300 coal fired power stations worldwide (7000 individual units). Approximately 620 of these power stations are in china. Which means that the air is getting polluted more and more everyday in these areas so these areas don’t have fresh air so when people go there they won’t stay for long.

Even though eco-friendly energy sources aren’t as powerful but we will learn to use them and soon they will become more powerful, for example we use to just use candles as light but then we learned how to use electricity, we learned how to use that. So we could actually find a better and less dangerous energy resource other than fossil fuels. 

Overuse of fossil Fuel will destroy our planet

By  Kamya Ramchandran

We use fossil fuels everyday. We use it as a form of electricity and as fuel in a car. Fossil fuels are the remains of plants and animals which we can use as a form of electricity. There are three types of fossil fuels. They are coal, oil and natural gas. Did you know that the burning of fossil fuels leads to 21.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide getting emitted? That’s a lot. Fossil fuels are nonrenewable which means they take millions of years to form. The fossil fuels we use now are from the time when dinosaurs didn't even exist. That's about 230 million years ago!

If we don't stop the overuse of fossil fuels there will be none left. The burning of fossil fuels also leads to other greenhouse gases getting emitted like methane. This is bad for the planet because these gases can cover the earth and this can lead to the temperature rising. The s will lead to polar ice caps melting and the sea level rising. This can also cause humans to lose their habitats. The burning of coal can also lead to other gases getting emitted like sulfur dioxide. These gases can react with the water molecules in the atmosphere. This will cause acid rain. This rain can kill insects and aquatic life. This rain can also make the water contaminated. The consumption of such contaminated water will lead to life threatening diseases. The mining of coal destroys the vegetation and top soil. 

We need to stop misusing fossil fuels and to do so we should use renewable energy sources like solar energy. This is a clean source of energy and doesn't harm the environment. Most of the population relies on fossil fuels and we need to change that.