fossil fuel
Buried carbon reserves
Fossil fuel refers to carbon-rich energy sources formed from ancient organic matter—coal, oil, and natural gas.
These fuels take millions of years to form from decomposed plants and animals, making them effectively nonrenewable on human timescales.
Burning fossil fuels releases stored carbon as carbon dioxide, driving climate change: The world must transition away from fossil fuels.
Combustible sedimentary rock
- petroleumNatural underground hydrocarbon liquid
- natural gasSubterranean hydrocarbon fuel
- crude oilUnrefined fossil fuel
- oil shaleHydrocarbon-rich sedimentary formation
tar sands · bitumen · peat · anthracite · lignite · methane · propane · butane
Hole-making by rotation
- frackingExtracting gas via pressure
- offshoreAway from land
- rigEquipment arrangement or vehicle
- derrickMovable boom apparatus
oilfield · mine · well · pipeline · exploration · seismic · reservoir · platform
Substances released into air
- greenhouse gasHeat-trapping atmospheric compound
- carbon dioxideRespiration byproduct, photosynthesis fuel
- global warmingRising planetary temperatures
- climate changePlanetary atmospheric transformation
smog · particulates · sulfur dioxide · nitrogen oxides · acid rain · oil spill · pollution · air quality
Facility producing electrical energy
- electricity generationCreating electrical current industrially
- thermalPertaining to warmth
- combustionExothermic reaction with oxygen
- turbineBlade-driven energy converter
boiler · furnace · engine · calorific · burning · heat · energy density · baseload
Last Mesozoic period
- prehistoricBefore documented civilization
- geologicOf Earth's physical structure
- sedimentaryFormed from deposited material
- organic matterMaterial from living sources
carbon cycle · photosynthesis · decomposition · ancient · geological · formation · millions of years · burial
coal
Combustible sedimentary rock
- petroleumNatural underground hydrocarbon liquid
- natural gasSubterranean hydrocarbon fuel
- crude oilUnrefined fossil fuel
oil shale · tar sands · bitumen · peat · anthracite · lignite · methane · propane · butane · kerosene
drilling
Hole-making by rotation
derrick · oilfield · mine · well · pipeline · exploration · seismic · reservoir · platform · jack-up
emissions
Substances released into air
- greenhouse gasHeat-trapping atmospheric compound
- carbon dioxideRespiration byproduct, photosynthesis fuel
- global warmingRising planetary temperatures
climate change · smog · particulates · sulfur dioxide · nitrogen oxides · acid rain · oil spill · pollution · air quality · contamination
power plant
Facility producing electrical energy
- electricity generationCreating electrical current industrially
- thermalPertaining to warmth
- combustionExothermic reaction with oxygen
turbine · boiler · furnace · engine · calorific · burning · heat · energy density · baseload · power grid
cretaceous
Last Mesozoic period
- prehistoricBefore documented civilization
- geologicOf Earth's physical structure
- sedimentaryFormed from deposited material
organic matter · carbon cycle · photosynthesis · decomposition · ancient · geological · formation · millions of years · burial · pressure
- organic depositspeat, guano, humus, coal seam, oil shale
- environmentalismecology, conservationism, recycling bins, campaigner, environmentalism
- fuelsgasoline, diesel, coal, gas, petrol
- Gasolinegas, petrol, octane, unleaded, premium
- non-nuclearconventional weapons, conventional arms, conventional warfare, conventional forces, petroleum
- power gridpower grid, power plant, transformers, power station, transmission lines
fossil fuelrenewable energy
Self-replenishing natural power
clean energy · solar power · wind power · solar energy · wind energy
fuel, fossil, fuels, fossils, fueled, fossilized, fueling, refuel, fuelled