Fossil fuel
The Earth's crust holds a secret buried deep within its layers. Anaerobic decomposition of dead plants and animals began the process that created coal, petroleum, and natural gas. This transformation takes millions of years to complete under high temperature and pressure. Aquatic phytoplankton and zooplankton died in large quantities under anoxic conditions long ago. Their remains mixed with mud and became buried under heavy layers of inorganic sediment. The resulting chemical alteration first produced a waxy material known as kerogen. Further heat converted this into liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons through catagenesis. Terrestrial plants formed type III kerogen which serves as a source for natural gas. Coal fields often date back to the Carboniferous period of Earth's history. Despite these slow natural processes, human consumption depletes reserves much faster than they generate.
Commercial exploitation of petroleum began in the 19th century after centuries of limited use. Prior to the latter half of the 18th century, windmills and watermills provided energy for work like milling flour or sawing wood. Burning wood or peat supplied domestic heat before fossil fuels took over. Wide-scale use of coal in steam engines enabled the Industrial Revolution. Gas lights using natural gas or coal gas came into wide use during this era. The invention of the internal combustion engine greatly increased demand for gasoline and diesel oil. Railways and aircraft also require fossil fuels for operation. Tar from petroleum extraction helps construct roads globally. The Green Revolution received its energy from fossil fuel fertilizers and pesticides. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizer supports almost half of the Earth's current population. Fifty percent of the world's food relies on fertilizers according to commodity price agency heads.
Over 70% of greenhouse gas emissions due to human activity in 2022 was carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels. Natural carbon cycle processes remove only a small part of this excess. Terrestrial vegetation loss compounds the deficiency caused by deforestation and desertification. A net increase of many billion tonnes of atmospheric carbon occurs each year. Methane leaks remain significant but burning fossil fuels is the main source of global warming. Ocean acidification results directly from these emissions. Combustion generates sulfuric and nitric acids that fall as acid rain. Monuments made from marble and limestone dissolve when exposed to these acids. Fossil fuels contain radioactive materials like uranium and thorium released into the atmosphere. About 12,000 tonnes of thorium and 5,000 tonnes of uranium were released worldwide from burning coal in 2000. US coal burning released radioactivity levels 155 times higher than the Three Mile Island accident during 1982. Coal mining methods like mountaintop removal pose negative environmental impacts.
Global air pollution deaths due to fossil fuels reached over 8 million people in 2018. This figure represents nearly one death out of every five worldwide. Estimates climbed to 10.2 million deaths in 2019 before settling at 5.13 million excess deaths in 2023. Particulates and other air pollution cause premature death and acute respiratory illness when inhaled. Chronic bronchitis and decreased lung function affect those who breathe this toxic air. The poor, undernourished, very young, and very old face the highest risks. People with preexisting respiratory disease suffer disproportionately from exposure. Air pollution from fossil fuels cost US$2.9 trillion or 3.3% of global GDP in 2018. Death rates per terawatt-hour show coal causes 24.68 fatalities while oil causes 18.47. Natural gas results in 2.8 deaths per unit compared to biomass at 4.6. Hydropower shows only 0.02 deaths per unit while nuclear energy shows 0.07. Scientists propose that 1.8 million lives have been saved by replacing fossil fuel sources with nuclear power.
Economists point to energy prices as the main reason for high inflation in recent years. Fossil fuel prices drive every big episode of inflation since World War II according to Mark Zandi. Dependence on these fuels is the main driver of the 2021, 2022 inflation spike. Isabel Schnabel and other economists highlight how volatile price swings create financial instability. Sectors like transportation, food, and shipping raise prices significantly when fossil fuel costs rise. The economic impact of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine in 2022 exemplified this volatility. Some countries divert over 50% of their COVID-19 recovery stimulus funding to fossil fuel production. Gernot Wagner argues commodities are undesirable because they lack stable pricing mechanisms. Technologies like renewable energy do not suffer from such volatile price swings. Moody's estimates the Inflation Reduction Act could reduce typical American household spending by more than $300 each year by 2030. This bill seeks to make the United States less dependent on fossil fuels causing inflation.
International policy aims to facilitate transition away from fossil fuels toward sustainable alternatives. The Paris Climate Agreement sets targets to reach net zero emissions by 2050. UN secretary general António Guterres declared humanity is waging war on nature in December 2020. He stated that nature always strikes back with growing force and fury. The International Energy Agency concluded no new fossil fuel extraction projects should open in 2021. Various governments doubled down on fossil fuels despite needing to reduce greenhouse emissions. Saudi Aramco reached a US$2 trillion valuation on its second day of trading in 2019. Investment in clean energy became about twice that for fossil fuels as of 2025. The World Health Organization calls climate change the greatest threat to human health in the 21st century. Stakeholders argue this change needs to be a just transition addressing societal burdens. Stranded assets of the fossil fuel industry create significant economic consequences for global markets.
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Common questions
How are fossil fuels formed from dead plants and animals?
Fossil fuels form through the anaerobic decomposition of dead plants and animals buried under heavy layers of inorganic sediment. This process takes millions of years to complete under high temperature and pressure, converting remains into kerogen and then hydrocarbons.
When did commercial exploitation of petroleum begin?
Commercial exploitation of petroleum began in the 19th century after centuries of limited use. Prior to the latter half of the 18th century, windmills and watermills provided energy for work like milling flour or sawing wood before fossil fuels took over.
What percentage of greenhouse gas emissions was carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels in 2022?
Over 70% of greenhouse gas emissions due to human activity in 2022 was carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels. Natural carbon cycle processes remove only a small part of this excess, leading to a net increase of many billion tonnes of atmospheric carbon each year.
How many global air pollution deaths were caused by fossil fuels in 2018?
Global air pollution deaths due to fossil fuels reached over 8 million people in 2018. This figure represents nearly one death out of every five worldwide according to health data.
Why do economists say fossil fuel prices drive inflation since World War II?
Economists point to energy prices as the main reason for high inflation in recent years because fossil fuel prices drive every big episode of inflation since World War II. Dependence on these fuels is the main driver of the 2021 and 2022 inflation spike.