Fossil fuels are non-renewable resources. Over-consumption of these resources shall naturally cause their depletion which shall result in a chain of reactions culminating into drastic changes in economies, pattern of agriculture and even our daily lives. As estimated till date our oil supplies shall be the first to run out in about 50-60 years. This will be followed by natural gas in about 80- 110 years. Coal will be the last to disappear, serving the mankind for about 300-800 years to come.
Crude oil not only yields petrol, diesel. Kerosene etc. but provides a number of products which are exceedingly important to the mankind. Ethylene, Pro Dvlene, Benzene, 1-3 Butadiene etc. derived from crude oil, yield polyethylene, PVC, monoethylene glycol, polypropylene, acrylonitrile, styrene, synthetic rubber and fibres for textile industry.
With drying of oil wells acute crisis of these products is likely to develop which will affect our lives directly. Shortage of fertilizers could show up as reduced agricultural productivity. Feeding the world population will become even more difficult. Plastics, polymers, synthetic fibres shall become expensive. Some alternatives shall have to be developed to supplement the products of Petrochemical industry.
Combustion of fossil fuels which yields energy also produces a number of pollutants. Major pollutants produced are: Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, Sulphur dioxide, Oxides of nitrogen, Hydrocarbons and Particulates. Total annual release of these materials from diverse sources has been summarized in Table 8.3. In addition to these a number of toxic heavy metals and trace elements are expelled into the environment as a result of combustion of fossil fuels. It provides a list of global annual emission of heavy metals from natural sources as well as due to human activity.
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Coal is the most environmentally damaging source of energy. It is followed by oil. Combustion of natural gas causes the least pollution as compared to coal and oil. A shift from coal and oil to natural gas shall drastically curtail overall discharge of pollutants into the atmosphere.
As we consume our oil, natural gas shall be an important fossil fuel which in turn may reduce global emission of oxides of carbon, sulphur and nitrogen, hydrocarbons and particulates. After natural gas coal and biomass combustion shall be the main source of energy, both of which are the most damaging to the environment. We shall have to develop more efficient clean and environment friendly technology for their use in future.