1.3 Fossil fuels
The fossil fuels coal, oil and natural gas are stored solar energy. Plants and animals grew using the heat and energy of the sun, died, were buried and over millions of years and under pressure formed the hydrocarbons that we utilise today. These sources of stored solar energy are clearly finite.
The UK is heavily dependent on gas and oil for both heating our homes and offices and for industrial processes requiring heat. Our transport systems are almost totally dependent on oil.
Activity 3
The UK government’s BERR report entitled ‘UK energy in brief July 2008’ summarises statistics on energy production, consumption and prices in the UK as at 2008.
Use the report to answer these questions:
What percentage of our primary energy use in 2007 came from fossil fuels? (page 13)
What is the main use of oil and gas? (table on page 14)
When did our production of oil and gas peak? (page 15)
What has happened to our remaining reserves of oil and gas over the last 10 years (graph page 16)
When did the UK become a net importer of oil? (page 17)
When did the UK become a net importer of gas? (page 21)
What target has the UK government set for the reduction in carbon emissions by 2050? (page 5).
Comment
The answers should illustrate why the UK needs to find alternative energy sources. The reduction in local reserves, the dependence on imported gas and oil and the consequent security of supply issues add to the concern we have explored in other steps of the impact of burning fossil fuels on climate change.
The need for alternative energy sources can be summarised under three headings:
the finite nature of fossil fuels
security of supply
global warming and carbon emissions.
1.2 Non-renewable energy