It is pretty common to turn the news on and hear about fossil fuels nowadays. It seems as if the news always talks about it.
The result of this is a lot of false information and also a lot of truth. This post will be talking about the common myths about fossil fuels and how many people believe them, but that they are not true, or at least nowhere close to being true most of the time.
The truth about fossil fuels is that we have a limited supply, and at some point in the very near future they will run out. This fact has been known for decades; however, oil companies are still making profits hand over fist. A corollary to this fact is that the more you use, the faster you’ll deplete them (Econo-speak for use it or lose it). This does not mean that you have to turn the lights out, but with everything, there is a trade-off.
“Fossil Fuels Are Bad For The Environment”
The first myth that people spread about fossil fuels is, “Fossil Fuels are bad for the environment.” This can be considered a half-truth.
In fact, Fossil Fuels have been killing our earth slowly since coal was first mined out of the ground. In addition to this, if we stop using fossil fuels now, the world would probably be in a really bad situation.
The reason that fossil fuels have been killing our earth is that when they are burned, they release greenhouse gasses into the air which add to global warming. This isn’t much of a problem though, because since the industrial revolution began, we have been using technology to help us increase
We are dependent on fossil fuels to survive in the world today. Everyone has their own opinion on what we should do, but most people do agree that coal and oil are here to stay for a while. We know this because of how much they have helped society even if they also cause pollution. If we were not using fossil fuels, we would not have all of our modern-day technology and conveniences.
Fossil fuels are a good thing to use, but also should be used sparingly. They should only be burned when needed and then should try to find a better alternative as fast as possible. Of course, this is easier said than done because there is no perfect energy source.
“Fossil Fuels Cause Global Warming”
Another myth is that fossil fuels cause global warming, meaning that they emit greenhouse gases into the air and cause the earth to get hotter by trapping some of the radiation from the sun like a blanket. This can be considered true in one way and false in another. It is true that fossil fuels release greenhouse gasses into the air, but most scientists believe that most of this emitted gas comes from natural sources such as animal flatulence and decaying organic material just to name a few. To say that we (humans) emit the majority of greenhouse gases is false and takes away all responsibility from us.
To say that global warming is man-made is also wrong. The earth has been through many ice ages and many warm periods, but none have ever come about because of humans. To put it in perspective, the number of greenhouse gasses being emitted today is minuscule compared to what they were when there were dinosaurs around. One more thing to keep in mind is that greenhouse gasses are completely natural and necessary for life on earth, but also can be bad if there are too many.
“Fossil Fuels Cause a Lot of Pollution”
The final myth is that energy plans with Fossil Fuels cause a lot of pollution, and this may be true in some cases, but not all. Fossil fuels create some pollution when they are burned, but most of this pollution comes from natural sources such as decaying organic material. If there were no Fossil Fuels, the earth would be in an even worse state with all of the decay without anything to stop it.
Another thing that can contribute to air pollution is making sure that they are used sparingly. Fossil fuels should not be used all of the time, but just enough to where there isn’t excessive pollution. The best way to do this is through technology. If companies make more fuel-efficient cars and power plants, for example, it would help reduce pollution because these sources will use much fewer fossil fuels compared to older versions.
