In this blog post, we’ll explore why fossil fuel energy is important to our lives and why the transition to alternative energy is so urgent right now.
As we breathe and go about our daily lives, vast amounts of fossil energy are being consumed worldwide. Although many people are unaware of it, fossil energy has become an indispensable part of our lives. If fossil energy were to disappear overnight, the world would descend into chaos. What exactly is this fossil energy that is so closely intertwined with our lives?
First, looking at the dictionary definition of fossil energy, fossil fuels—or fossil energy—are fuels formed when the remains of plants and animals buried in the Earth’s crust fossilize over long periods of time, and the energy derived from them. Representative examples of fossil energy include oil, coal, and natural gas. Fossil energy is widely used in various fields we may not even realize, and it is deeply intertwined with our daily lives—from basic activities like electricity, home heating, and factory operations to transportation. This means that fossil energy does not merely serve industrial purposes but has a profound impact on people’s lives themselves.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 45% of South Korea’s energy consumption comes from oil, 26% from coal, and 14% from natural gas. As we can see here, the majority of the energy we use is fossil energy. This fossil energy is formed from the remains of plants and animals that were buried deep within the Earth’s crust long ago, cut off from oxygen in the air, and underwent a long process of decay and chemical reactions. The hydrocarbons created in this way are used as today’s fossil fuels. Today, we extract and process this energy as needed, using it as a driving force essential to our economy and daily lives.
Let’s take a closer look at the major fossil fuels we use: oil, coal, and natural gas. Oil is the fossil fuel we use the most. Crude oil is separated into petroleum gas, naphtha, kerosene, diesel, heavy oil, and asphalt through fractional distillation, which utilizes differences in boiling points. Each type of petroleum product is used for different purposes depending on its characteristics. Naphtha is used in the private cars we commonly drive, while kerosene is used as jet fuel. Asphalt is widely used for road paving. Oil reserves are concentrated in a few countries; Saudi Arabia has the largest crude oil reserves, accounting for 25.2% of the total. Furthermore, the Middle East region, including Saudi Arabia, accounts for 65.2% of the total. For this reason, there are many people in the Middle East who have become wealthy through the oil industry, and we often refer to them as “oil tycoons” or “oil princes.” Because demand for oil is high and production is limited, prices fluctuate significantly. Since many industries rely on oil, these price fluctuations have a major impact on the global economy.
Coal, the second-largest source of fossil energy, is widely used due to its low cost. Coal is broadly classified into anthracite and bituminous coal. Anthracite is a type of coal that has undergone thorough carbonization, allowing it to burn without producing smoke; while it does not ignite easily, it maintains a consistent temperature and produces intense heat. In the past, people used anthracite for cooking and heating due to these characteristics, but recently, demand has been declining as people have come to prefer petroleum due to risks such as harmful gas emissions. Bituminous coal, unlike anthracite, emits a distinctive odor when burned. It ignites easily and can reach high temperatures instantly, making it the primary fuel for the coal chemical industry. In particular, bituminous coal is an important raw material in the steel industry, and since large steel mills consume vast quantities of coal, fluctuations in global steel production significantly impact coal demand.
Finally, natural gas is a naturally occurring gas that emanates from oil fields and coal mining areas, consisting of methane and ethane. Methane is the simplest hydrocarbon gas and exists in a gaseous state at room temperature. This methane gas is used as the primary feedstock for LNG. Ethane gas exists in much smaller quantities than methane and is primarily used for domestic gas or in buses that run on natural gas. While it was not widely used in the past due to transportation difficulties, its usage has been increasing recently as technology for liquefying natural gas has advanced. As an example of this trend, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has revised its forecast for U.S. natural gas production this year upward. Natural gas plays a particularly important role in electricity generation; because it produces relatively fewer carbon emissions compared to traditional coal- or oil-based power generation, it is gaining attention as an energy source for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
There are three major problems with fossil fuels. First is the limited nature of fossil fuel reserves; second is environmental pollution caused by harmful gases emitted during their use; and third is global warming. Let’s examine the first issue: the limited nature of reserves. Based on an analysis of 1995 fossil fuel consumption levels, it is estimated that there are reserves of oil sufficient for 43 years, natural gas for 65 years, and coal for 228 years. Furthermore, as energy consumption continues to rise due to population growth and industrial development, many experts predict that fossil fuel depletion will occur sooner than expected. Consequently, there are many predictions that fossil fuels will soon be depleted. These limited resources make it urgent to prepare for future generations and heighten the need to develop alternative resources and seek ways to use energy efficiently.
The second issue, environmental pollution caused by harmful gases, results from the combustion of fossil fuels, which produces carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxides. These gases fundamentally cause air pollution. Air pollution disrupts the lives of humans and many plants and animals. A prime example of air pollution is smog. Additionally, pollutants released into the atmosphere dissolve in water, resulting in acid rain. This acid rain not only adversely affects aquatic life in rivers and lakes but also leaves harmful substances in the soil.
Finally, there is the issue of global warming. Gases such as carbon dioxide, produced by the indiscriminate use of fossil fuels, accumulate in the atmosphere. These gases trap heat energy received from the sun, causing the Earth’s average temperature to rise. The ripple effects of the greenhouse effect include the melting of perpetual snow, rising sea levels caused by melting glaciers, and the disruption of the food chain. As a result, changes in marine ecosystems and climate change phenomena such as heat waves, droughts, and floods are occurring more frequently, and this is rapidly emerging as a global environmental issue. Due to these problems, efforts to find new energy sources to replace fossil fuels are expanding worldwide.
As we have seen, fossil fuels are an energy source closely intertwined with our daily lives and of great importance due to factors such as supply and demand, convenience, and widespread acceptance. However, despite these advantages, recent global trends are shifting toward replacing fossil fuels. Many experts argue that we must replace fossil fuels as soon as possible. For example, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev proposed nuclear energy as an alternative to fossil fuels, stating, “Developing countries with large populations, such as China and India, are currently experiencing rapid economic growth. These nations will require vast amounts of energy. Therefore, we must develop nuclear energy.”
Alternative energy sources to replace fossil fuels include solar, hydroelectric, nuclear, and wind power. Unlike fossil fuels, alternative energy sources are not only capable of being generated indefinitely but also cause relatively less environmental pollution, leading to continuous development. In fact, in South Korea, some city buses are being replaced with electric buses as part of environmental protection efforts. Although the proportion of alternative energy is still smaller than that of fossil fuels, it is on an upward trend. Many engineers are working to achieve this transition more quickly and efficiently.
