Define:
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CoalMost people know this substance is black square like that we most likely use for barbecues. This is what we call, coal. Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel in the world. There are four types of coal that go by Anthracite with the highest carbon contents at 86%-98%, Bituminous with 45%-85% carbon content, Sub-Bituminous with 35%-45% carbon content, and Lignite with 25%-35% carbon content with a high moisture content. Coal causes pollution and environmental issues which is why California probably doesn't have any coal reserves. Coal is harvested by coal mining which blasts off mountain tops to get the coal that is inside. This could contaminate streams and lakes that are close by. It could even block out the water ways which is an environmental issue.
Natural GasNatural gas are usually flammable gas which consists of methane and other hydrocarbons (compounds that are made from hydrogen and carbon). It is the most cleanest, safest, and most useful forms of energy. It is originated from fossil fuels. The uses of natural gas is used in residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation. In residential areas, natural gas is used to heat our water, cook our food, warm our homes, and generate electricity. It is used in this area because it is economically cheap. Natural gas that is used in commercial areas, such as schools, office buildings, hotels, restaurants, etc., are used for cooling, cooking, and heating. Industrial areas use natural gas in industries that produce petroleum refining, metal, chemical, plastic, food processing, glass and paper. To get this natural gas, a method called fracking, drills into the earth with a high pressured water mixture on a rock to get the gas.
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OilCrude oil is composed of fossil fuel (plants and animals that lived millions of years ago) with a mixture of hydrocarbons. that is the most used non-renewable energy source in the world but mainly in the United States. Most oil that is harvested in the United States in Texas at 37%. On the other hand, in the world, Russia and Saudi Arabia harvest oil at 13%. Crude oil is refined by separation, conversion, treatment, and storage, Oil impacts the earth by providing a substance for transportation to move. It also impacts the world negatively because it emits Carbon dioxide (CO2), Carbon monoxide (CO), Sulfur dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen oxides (NOX), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), and Particulate matter (PM). These emissions contribute to the greenhouse affect/global warming, acid rain, lungs of mammals, and other health issues.
Hydrogen FuelHydrogen fuel is a zero-emmision fuel when it is burned with oxygen or anything that can "reverse" the reaction. Which means no waste products will be able to pollute the environment which is an advantage. To power vehicles and electronic devices, it must be used in internal engines for combustion or electrochemical cells (generating electrical energy from chemical reactions). In a chemical reaction with hydrogen being converted, electricity is made. Another advantage of hydrogen fuel is that it is hydrogen friendly and does not emit harmful emissions. Some disadvantages of hydrogen fuel is how expensive it is, storage and replacement.
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Nuclear Energy
Nuclear energy is one of the least damaging sources of energy and is the only source of electricity that can produce a large amount of power. To produce nuclear energy, energy has to be released during nuclear fission or fusion. The use of nuclear power is to provide electricity for homes, offices, and factories. Nuclear fission is used for all types of power generation such as nuclear weapons and nuclear plants. Nuclear fusion is used for nuclear bombs, hydrogen bombs, and the energy to shine the stars for many years. Using nuclear energy is an advantage because it lowers green house emissions, low fuel cost, cheap electricity, and reliable to make through any type of weather and is made 24/7.