Fossil Fuel Consumption, CO2 and Its Impact on Global Climate
Background: At the beginning of human history, we had to satisfy our energy
needs (for food, heat and movement) by using our own muscle power and gathering
or hunting naturally available plants, animals and wood. Each stage in the
evolution of human society (the development of farming, domestication of animals,
harnessing of wind and water power) increased the average per capita energy use,
but it was the Industrial Revolution and the exploitation of fossil fuels which
marked the transformation of societies into the energy-intensive economies of
today. Since the eighteenth century the industrialising countries have come to
rely on non-renewable energy resources, and at present about 80 per cent (Myers,
1994) of the world's commercial energy is derived from oil, coal and gas.
Although it has been observed that the growth of energy consumption is closely
correlated with the increases in gross national product thus our economic
development, the major sources of energy (that is fossil fuels) are 'stock
resources'. Fossil fuels are consumed by use and the current consumption
patterns are non-sustainable. It is recognised that energy conservation and the
development of renewable energy sources will be needed to sustain economic
growth. The quantity of ultimately recoverable fossil fuels is limited by
geology and remains a matter of suspicion, but the view of the 1970s that
scarcity was imminent is still popular. It is the 1973 Oil Crisis marked the
transition from abundant, low-cost energy to an era of increasing prices and
scarcity. Today concerns over scarcity have been overtaken by the question of
whether human beings can afford to meet the environmental costs of continued
fossil fuel consumption. One of the most widespread concern related to global
climatic changes.
Introduction: Climate represents normal weather condition of an area over a
period of many years. This is in contrast to weather which is... [continues]
Background: At the beginning of human history, we had to satisfy our energy
needs (for food, heat and movement) by using our own muscle power and gathering
or hunting naturally available plants, animals and wood. Each stage in the
evolution of human society (the development of farming, domestication of animals,
harnessing of wind and water power) increased the average per capita energy use,
but it was the Industrial Revolution and the exploitation of fossil fuels which
marked the transformation of societies into the energy-intensive economies of
today. Since the eighteenth century the industrialising countries have come to
rely on non-renewable energy resources, and at present about 80 per cent (Myers,
1994) of the world's commercial energy is derived from oil, coal and gas.
Although it has been observed that the growth of energy consumption is closely
correlated with the increases in gross national product thus our economic
development, the major sources of energy (that is fossil fuels) are 'stock
resources'. Fossil fuels are consumed by use and the current consumption
patterns are non-sustainable. It is recognised that energy conservation and the
development of renewable energy sources will be needed to sustain economic
growth. The quantity of ultimately recoverable fossil fuels is limited by
geology and remains a matter of suspicion, but the view of the 1970s that
scarcity was imminent is still popular. It is the 1973 Oil Crisis marked the
transition from abundant, low-cost energy to an era of increasing prices and
scarcity. Today concerns over scarcity have been overtaken by the question of
whether human beings can afford to meet the environmental costs of continued
fossil fuel consumption. One of the most widespread concern related to global
climatic changes.
Introduction: Climate represents normal weather condition of an area over a
period of many years. This is in contrast to weather which is... [continues]
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(1999, 10). Fossil Fuel Consumption, Co2 and Its Impact on Global Climate. StudyMode.com. Retrieved 10, 1999, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Fossil-Fuel-Consumption-Co2-Its-Impact-2057.html
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"Fossil Fuel Consumption, Co2 and Its Impact on Global Climate" StudyMode.com. 10 1999. 10 1999 <http://www.studymode.com/essays/Fossil-Fuel-Consumption-Co2-Its-Impact-2057.html>.
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"Fossil Fuel Consumption, Co2 and Its Impact on Global Climate." StudyMode.com. 10, 1999. Accessed 10, 1999. http://www.studymode.com/essays/Fossil-Fuel-Consumption-Co2-Its-Impact-2057.html.
