Fossil Fuels

IV

Consumption of Fossil Fuels

In 2003, the most recent year for which data are available, the world consumed 29 billion barrels of petroleum, 5 billion metric tons of coal, and 2.7 trillion cubic meters (96 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas. Overall, the United States accounts for approximately 25 percent of worldwide energy consumption, while it has less than 5 percent of the world’s population.

V

Commercial Uses

Once fossil fuel has been extracted and processed, it can be burned for direct uses, such as to power cars or heat homes, or it can be combusted for the generation of electrical power.

A

Direct Combustion

Fossil fuels are primarily burned to produce energy. This energy is used to power automobiles, trucks, airplanes, trains, and ships around the world; to fuel industrial manufacturing processes; and to provide heat, light, air conditioning, and energy for homes and businesses. About two-fifths of all energy consumed in the United States is used by industry, one-third by homes and businesses, and about one-fourth by transportation.

To provide fuel for transportation, petroleum is refined into gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, and other derivatives used in most of the world’s automobiles, trucks, trains, aircraft, and ships. In the United States, transportation accounts for about two-thirds of total petroleum consumption—more than two-thirds of which is burned as automobile gasoline.

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Demand for natural gas, historically considered a waste by-product of petroleum and coal mining, is growing in business and industry because it is a cleaner-burning fuel than petroleum or coal. Natural gas, which can be piped directly to commercial plants or individual residences and used on demand, is used for heating and for air conditioning. Residential uses of natural gas also include fuel for stoves and other heating appliances.

B

Electricity Generation

In addition to direct combustion for commercial uses, fossil fuels are also burned to generate most of the world’s electric power. In 2003 fossil fuel–fired power plants produced 65 percent of the world’s electrical power, down from 71 percent in the late 1970s. In 2003 the world’s remaining electricity supply was generated primarily by hydroelectric power (17 percent) and nuclear fission (16 percent), with solar, geothermal, and other sources accounting for a relatively small amount.

VI

Environmental Effects of Using Fossil Fuels

Acid rain and global warming are two of the most serious environmental issues related to large-scale fossil fuel combustion. Other environmental problems, such as land reclamation and oil spills, are also associated with the mining and transporting of fossil fuels.

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