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Fossil Fuels Pros And Cons

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Recommended: Advantages and disadvantages of fossil fuels

Energy plays a vital role in the modern human community as we power our computers, household utilities and many other important inventions. As the population of the world grows, our fossil fuel reserves are depleting quicker. Fossil fuels such as petroleum, coal and natural gas accounted for 81.5 percent of global primary energy consumption in 2015. The burning of fossil fuels have greatly contributed to global warming, however if we were to ultimately eliminate fossil fuels from energy sources, the production of energy will undoubtedly fall behind the demand. The solution proposed is to reduce the demand for fossil fuels by replacing some with a more sustainable and renewable alternative- biofuels. To reach a compromise between the amount …show more content…

Although there are a number of proven benefits of substituting fossil fuels with biofuels, no fuel sources are entirely positive or negative.
Pros:
❀ Renewable - Fossil fuels are considered non-renewable as they take millions of years to form and the reserves are depleting quicker than new reserves are being formed. This is not the case for biofuels as they can be constantly restored, since they can be produced from biomass which can be cultivated and harvested during the human lifespan. ❀ Economic Security - Large reserves of crude oil do not appear in every country, and so biofuels provide an opportunity for countries to enhance economic security by reducing their expenditures and dependence on oil imports. ❀ Clean-burning - Unalike fossil fuels, biofuels are more environmentally friendly, producing less air pollution and also utilising materials that are considered to be waste products. Biofuels play a vital role in reducing our carbon footprint as they emit less greenhouse gases compared to other conventional fuels.

These disadvantages are what is limiting biofuels from becoming the dominant energy …show more content…

One of the disadvantages of biofuels is that they aren’t as clean as we may think due to the use of fertiliser to grow these crops. Fertiliser is a nitrogen-rich compound, and nitrogen is consumed by bacteria that produces nitrous oxide. The release of nitrous oxide, an even more harmful GHG than carbon dioxide, into our atmosphere creates yet another dreaded greenhouse effect. The nitrogen and phosphorus present in fertilisers can also cause eutrophication which can lead to a loss of biodiversity. These aspects of biofuels serve as significant disadvantages to the

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