Negative Impacts of Overuse of Fossil Fuels

The harvesting and utilization of fossil fuels creates many environmental problems. Coal is a fossil fuel that creates many negative impacts on the environment during every stage of its processing. First, coal mining is accomplished by a number of ways. Strip mining is accomplished by excavating large areas of land that strips the overburden and disrupts large volumes of soil. This process destroys habitats, displaces wildlife, and causes soil erosion. (Kaufman and Franz, 1993, 212). The other way coal is harvested is by direct extraction from coal mines. This process creates the environmental hazard of land subsidence, which occurs when coal mines collapse and the overlying soil layer falls into the void created by the mine. This exposes coal deposits to the elements and can lead to acid drainage. Coal deposit exposure can also happen at strip mines or during storage. Acid drainage is basically the oxidation of the sulfur contained in the coal that forms sulfuric acid. (212). The sulfuric acid then mixes with water from rain and run-off and this hazardous substance is flushed into streams and other ground and surface water sources. In addition to sulfur, coal also contains many trace elements that can be harmful to local wildlife and humans. The final environmental hazard coal produces is air pollution. This happens when coal is burned and smoke, excessive amounts of carbon dioxide, and small particles are released into the air.�

Petroleum is another fossil fuel that causes negative impact on the environment. (Kaufman and Franz, 1993, 213). Petroleum harvesting disrupts ecosystems in sensitive areas of the world. Machinery transport, energy consumption and air pollution caused by machinery exhaust, and the process of drilling, all impact the environment and wildlife in the area being drilled. Oil fires are another concern that plagues petroleum harvesting. These fires create massive amounts of air pollution with smoke made up of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfides, and nitrogen oxides.�

Refining petroleum also creates a myriad of pollution, from air pollution to water and soil pollution caused by refinery byproducts like heated water and waste solids disposal. Transporting refined and unrefined oils also creates hazards like oil spills that spread across the water coating everything in its path. Wildlife suffocates from the petroleum coating, or the substance poisons them. Finally, when petroleum products are burned for energy they release carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons into the air.�

The remaining fossil fuels, natural gas and shale oils and tar sands, have their own negative impacts on the environment. The main problem with shale oils and tar sands is that it is a low quality petroleum product that takes a great deal of excavation in order to produce enough petroleum to be viable. (Kaufman and Franz, 1993, 215). The scale of the excavation process of this fossil fuel makes it the least efficient of the petroleum products. Not only does this process of harvesting waste a great deal of energy and fossil fuels, it disrupts huge stretches of habitat. Also a large amount of water is needed to abstract the petroleum from oil shales and sands. This creates water pollution and wastes a valuable resource. Natural gas, on the other hand, is the most environmentally friendly and efficient of the petroleum products. It burns cleaner and can be harvested in a less disruptive manner. However, even though it is a better option, natural gases still emit nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides into the air, and it has the added threat of explosion and asphyxiation.�

References

Kaufman, Donald G. and Franz, Cecilia M. (1993). Biosphere 2000…Protecting our Global Environment. Dubuque, IA: Kendal/Hunt Publishing