WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF FUELS? (POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES) - ENVIRONMENT - 2025

The impact of fuels on the environment can be very serious, since they are elements that burn very easily. Currently, fossil fuels (those derived from fossilized plants and animals, such as natural gas, oil and coal) are used as sources of energy. Burning these compounds generates negative effects on the environment.

However, it is possible to end the environmental deterioration produced by these elements with different alternative solutions, which will be explained in detail later. Alternative energies are essential for this.

Environmental implications of fuel use

The use of fossil fuels such as coal, gasoline and oil has generated a series of adverse effects on the environment, among which are:

1- The increase of the greenhouse effect, which produces global warming and climate changes

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas that is released during the combustion process. This gas concentrates the heat in the lowest part of the atmosphere, which increases global warming, which means that the temperature of the Earth increases, affecting the planet's ecosystems.

Likewise, global warming produces abrupt climate changes, such as heat waves that threaten life on the planet. In 2003, for example, there was a heat wave in Europe that killed around 20,000 people.

2- Sea level rise

Sea level is rising twice as fast as it did 150 years ago. Some studies in the United States have shown that this is due to greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, such as burning fossil fuels.

In 1850, the average rise in sea level was 1 millimeter (mm) per year; meanwhile, the average increase is currently 2 mm per year, a figure that is alarming. In the worst case, it is expected that by the year 2100, the sea level will have risen one meter.

3- Accumulation of solid waste

The burning of fossil fuels can generate the accumulation of solid waste, which has a negative impact on the environment.

These wastes require adequate spaces in which they can be properly contained and / or treated, so it is necessary to have financial support.

Similarly, there must be organizations that are responsible for ensuring that waste is disposed of properly.

However, most governments do not have adequate facilities to contain solid waste, so there is a high probability that solid waste will contaminate both land and water surfaces.

This pollution directly affects the forms of life found in the place, both plant and animal, as well as aquatic and terrestrial.

4- Acid rain

At the beginning, acid rain was considered a problem that affected only the European continent and the United States.

However, in recent decades, cases of acid rain have been recorded at the poles, in the tropical forests of Asia, in Africa, in South America, in short, around the world. In this sense, this phenomenon has gone from being a local nuisance to a global problem.

5- Implications for health

The health effects of fossil fuels are endless. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) about 160,000 people die each year due to the secondary effects of climate change; this figure could double in the next decade.

According to the WHO, these secondary effects appear in the form of malaria, malnutrition and diarrhea, which are consequences of floods, droughts and sudden increases in temperature.

6- Changes in the ecological balance

The extraction of fossil fuels requires the construction of large infrastructures. Since coal, oil and gas are usually found in the subsoil, these infrastructures must be able to, with large holes, penetrate the earth's crust.

On many occasions, these drills can unintentionally break the barrier between fossil fuels and underground water streams, causing contamination of the latter.

Similarly, during the transport of these fuels, it may be the case that there is a leak, contaminating other areas.

Oil spills in the water prevent these areas from being inhabited for a long period of time; sometimes these spills also mean the loss of plant and animal life.

Alternatives to fossil fuels

Currently, alternative energy sources are being implemented to supplant the use of fossil fuels. These energy sources, unlike fuels, are renewable, clean and reliable. Some of these alternative energies are: solar energy, wind energy and wave energy.

1- Solar energy

With current advances in technology, the creation and installation of solar panels are cheaper than before. It is even expected that in the coming decades, such panels will improve their quality.

2- Wind energy

In terms of technology, the energy obtained from the wind has also made amazing progress. The great advantage of this type of energy is that the wind is available anywhere in the world.

Previously, one of the biggest impediments to the development of this type of power on a large scale was the fact that large turrets had to be installed to be able to obtain power from the wind.

However, turbines have been developed that can trap low air currents, so turrets are not necessary.

3- Wave energy

The movement of ocean currents and waves can also be used to obtain energy. In this case, a type of technology similar to that used in obtaining wind energy is used.

The movement of the waves is constant, which represents an advantage for the development of this technology.

The only impediment is that you need to be in a coastal area to be able to collect energy from the oceans.

References

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