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There is a clear debate about whether or not the human way of life is polluting the earth. There are studies on both sides to enforce their point and there are studies on both sides to dispute the opposing argument. While it’s difficult to be on one side or the other, there is one thing that is certain: most American’s are confused by the whole thing. With both sides throwing out words and terms it can be rather confusing. One of the words you hear a lot in the debate is fossil fuels. But perhaps you should learn what fossil fuels really are and how they play a part in clean energy. Fossil fuels are formed naturally through the process of decomposition. When you hear words like coal, petroleum and natural gas, those themselves are fossil fuels. These things make up the majority of the world’s natural energy.
So why are fossil fuels so important in the debate for energy? Fossil fuels are the main source of energy in the country as most power plants run off of gas, coal and petroleum, but the problem is these fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy. This means that it takes millions of years to reproduce coal and gas. Therefore, once they are gone, they are gone. They are not like municipal bonds that are in a seemingly endless supply. These fossil fuels are in a dwindling supply and the government is offering incentives to companies and cities who decide to go with alternative sources of energy.
The burning of these fossil fuels produces more carbon dioxide than the earth can handle which means that this excess carbon dioxide has been thought to cause global warming. Now you know that fossil fuels are at the very center of the alternative energy debate.
