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http://web.me.com/davgen1/ILS_12-22/Fossil_Fuels.html
Coal Facts
Hard
Black
Rock-like
A nonrenewable energy source because it
takes millions of years to create.
Energy in coal comes from the energy stored
by plants that lived hundreds of millions of
years ago
(http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=coal_home-basics)
Coal
These fuels were dug out of the ground. They had taken millions of
years to make and so are called FOSSIL FUELS and are NONRENEWABLE.
COAL
Advantages:
- It's easily transported to many
areas in the world
most abundant sources of
energy, more so than oil and
natural gas
Disadvantages:
- Coal must be mined
and mining creates
damage to the
environment and
human health
- Leaves behind
harmful remains
which harm the
environment upon
combustion
Non-renewable and
fast depleting
History of Coal
Coal Timeline:
200 BC - first published record of coal used for heating
(Greece)
300 AD - Coal adopted as heat source in China
1285 AD - Coal burning begins to pollute London
1700s- Commercial mining began (invention of steam
engine), Industrial Revolution
1950 -coal provides 60% of world energy sources
2000 - coal provides 30% of world energy sources as
dependence
on petroleum grows
(http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=coal_home-basics)
More efficient
Oil Facts
Oil is a thick, black, gooey liquid also
called petroleum.
a mixture of hundreds of different types of
hydrocarbon molecules
Oil is the worlds most used fuel since the
1960s
Oil is carried in pipelines and large tanker
ships
)
History
Ancient times- construction of the walls in
Babylon, used for waterproofing of ships
1848- First modern oil well
1849- Distillation of kerosene
1886 Gasoline-powered automobiles
Advantage
Most versatile fossil fuel
Cleaner and easier to burn than coal
Easily combustible
Disadvantage
it leaves behind harmful by-products upon
combustion, thereby causing a lot of pollution
a major cause of global warming.
mining of oil leads to irreversible damage to
the environment; (oil spill)
Finite resources