Fossil Fuels Study Guide

Fossil fuels are natural resources formed from the remains of ancient organisms, including plants and animals, over millions of years.

Timeframe: Formation occurred approximately 300 million years ago.
Process:
  - Swamp Environment: Before dinosaurs existed, large plants died in swampy regions.
  - Burial Process:
    - Over time, these dead plants became buried under layers of water and dirt.
  - Transformation:
    - Through immense heat and pressure over millions of years, the remains of these dead plants transformed into coal.

Timeframe:
- Formation occurred between 300-400 million years ago and 50-100 million years ago.
Process:
  - Ocean Environment:
    - Tiny sea plants and animals died and were deposited on the ocean floor.
  - Burial Process:
    - Over time, layers of silt and sand covered these organic remains.
  - Transformation:
    - Eventually, through heat and pressure, these organic materials were converted into oil and natural gas.
Current Extraction:
- Today, we drill through layers of sand, silt, and rock to access rock formations rich in oil and gas deposits.

Graph Analysis:
  - Energy transitions historically took significant amounts of time to occur:
    - Example: Coal took over 100 years to replace wood.
    - Oil and gas took over 50 years to surpass coal in energy consumption share.
  - Figure Reference: Adapted from O'Connor and Cleveland (2014).

Percentage Breakdown:
- Energy consumption by fuel source varies regionally.
Global Consumption Rise:
- Global energy consumption has averaged a rise of about 2% per year but dipped during the 2009 recession and has increased sluggishly since 2014.
- Data Source: BP (2018).

Fuel Source Breakdown:
  - Petroleum (oil): 36%
  - Natural Gas: 29%
  - Coal: 16%
  - Nuclear Electric Power: 9%
  - Renewable Energy: 10%
Primary Uses:
  - Petroleum predominately used in transportation.
  - Natural gas, coal, renewable, and nuclear power mainly for electricity generation.
  - Data Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (2018b).

Countries with Major Coal Reserves:
  - United States: 28%
  - China: 13%
  - Russia: 18%
  - Australia: 9%
  - India: 7%
  - Germany: 5%
Combined Reserves:
- The six mentioned countries account for 80% of the global recoverable coal reserves.
- Reference: Adapted from US Energy Information Administration (2011).

Production Data:
  - Significant fluctuations noted:
    - National coal miners' strike in 1978 and producers reaching peak levels in 2008.
    - Declines observed in recent years, noted as the lowest output since 1978.
  - Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Coal Report.

Largest Proven Oil Reserves (in billions of barrels):
  - Venezuela: 300.9
  - Saudi Arabia: 266.5
  - Canada: 169.7
  - Iraq: 142.5
  - Kuwait: 101.5
  - Russia: 80.0
  - U.S.: 36.5
  - Source: Detailed reservoir data on a global scale.

Impact of Hydraulic Fracturing:
- The Bakken Oil Formation underwent significant production growth in the early 2000s due to advancements in hydraulic fracturing technology (fracking).
- By 2014, North Dakota and Montana states produced 1 million barrels of oil per day, contributing to 10% of U.S. oil production.

U.S. Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals:
- Recorded in million cubic feet over the decades.
- Trend: Continuous increase noted in production from 1940 onwards.

Air Pollution from Coal and Natural Gas:
  - Emissions rates are critically analyzed for carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide.
  - Data Representation: Rates are expressed in tons per megawatt-hour and pounds per megawatt-hour, highlighting the ecological impact of fossil fuels.
  - Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Environmental and Health Issues:
- Considering oil spills, pipeline leaks, habitat loss, air pollution, health impacts, and geopolitics as external factors resulting from fossil fuel extraction and consumption.