Fossil Fuels
We get energy from sunlight, wind, nuclear plants, and dam. However, most of the energy that we use comes from fossil fuels. There are three major fossil fuels: coal, oil and natural gas. These are composed of carbon-hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and sulphur. Carbon is the major element in fossil fuels. We obtain energy from fossil fuels by burning them. Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel in the world. Yet it has a major disadvantage. It is a strong pollutant. When it is burned, it releases impurities like nitrogen and sulphur, which combine with water vapour to create, “acid rain”. Also, coal is a major contributor to the imbalance of the carbon cycle. When coal burns, it forms carbon dioxide.
