Damages Caused by the Use of Fossil Fuel

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the fossil fuels oil, coal and natural gas currently account for more than 85 percent of the energy used by the United States. The Department of Energy estimates that this dependence on fossil fuels will likely increase over the next two decades due to the needs of a growing population and expanding economy. While the costs and availability of alternative fuels are debated, this reliance on fossil fuels increases at the cost of our health and our environment.

Air Pollution

• Burning fossil fuels releases various harmful chemicals into the air, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and hydrocarbons. Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas released by vehicle emissions and has been associated with several health problems, including headaches, dizziness, lethargy and nausea. Nitrogen oxides combine to form smog clouds and cause lung problems, including bronchitis, pneumonia and other respiratory infections. Sulfur oxides are released from coal burning and combine with nitrogen oxides to form acid rain. Acid rain increases the acid level in soil and water, killing insect, animal and plant life. Hydrocarbons are released by vehicle exhaust and oil refining. When combined with heat and sunlight, these pollutants produce greenhouse gases that can lead to lung damage and decreased crop growth.

Global Warming

• Global warming is caused by gases called greenhouse gases that confine heat in the atmosphere and increase the earth's average temperature. The most substantial of these greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide, which is produced from the burning of fossil fuels, such as gasoline. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, over three-quarters of our human-generated greenhouse gas emissions are caused by energy consumption that is mostly in the form of carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels. Temperature increases from global warming affect climate change, causing more severe storms, droughts, and flooding of coastal areas and rivers from rising sea levels.

Water Pollution

• Oil spills during the transportation of fossil fuels are the greatest contributors to water pollution. Spills can cause immediate effects resulting in the loss of animal and plant life covered in oil, in addition to long-term effects to marine environments such as gradual poisoning from oil trapped in stream beds. Underground coal mining also causes water pollution through the release of acids into waterways that deteriorate streams and rivers.

Land Pollution

• Strip mining for coal involves the removal of soil and rock that is close to a land's surface. This form of coal mining destroys vegetation growth, greatly reduces the quality of the remaining soil and eliminates wildlife habitats.