Fossil Fuel Combustion Effects

Fossil fuels have been used to power cars, homes and many other aspects of people's lives for many decades, but all that energy has come at a price. The burning of fossil fuels has a number of very unpleasant side effects, ranging from health problems caused by air pollution to climate change caused by excess carbon dioxide in the global atmosphere. With so much at stake, it is no wonder that so many people are looking for greener alternatives to the burning of coal, oil and other fossil fuels.

Air Pollution and Health Problems

• Those with compromised immune systems and underlying health problems often find that they have difficulty breathing when the pollution in the air is high. Air pollution can have a number of ill effects on those with underlying health problems, and when the pollution gets bad enough, even healthy people can begin to have problems. For example, those living in towns around coal mines, power plants and other areas that burn fossil fuel often suffer from higher than normal levels of cancer, heart disease and other long-term chronic health conditions.

Environmental Degradation

• Extracting fossil fuel from the ground often leaves behind serious environmental problems that linger long after the mine, oil well or power plant has been closed. Many towns in the coal-producing regions of the country are still living with the environmental effects of fossil fuel production even years after the last mine closed its doors. From relatively minor problems like sinkholes, to serious problems like underground fires that can render a town unlivable, the problems associated with fossil fuel production and combustion can last for decades.

Greenhouse Gases in the Atmosphere

• The combustion of fossil fuels contributes to many environmental problems, but none is as serious as global climate change. When fossil fuels are burned, large quantities of carbon dioxide are released, and that excess carbon dioxide forces heat to remain near the surface of the Earth. The long-term effects of this excess carbon dioxide range from stronger storms to rising ocean levels, and many fear that the environmental damage may be irreversible.