User:Peaceman/sandbox

Organic nonrenewable sources of energy, such as oil and coal, are made from the remains of once living organisms. Over the course of hundreds of millions of years, the once living tissue of organisms is metamorphosed into hydrocarbon compounds which humans can manipulate rather easily to obtain energy. There are many types of fossil fuels, all made through different processes, but they all share some stages of development. In the beginning, a living organism has to die and become buried rather quickly before decomposing. This is a crucial step, in that a) the source of the hydrocarbons is established and b) it is in a place with minimal decay-causing bacteria and oxygen so that oxidation cannot occur. Coal is made from trees and plant matter, whereas oil was originally the accumulated remains plankton and algae on the ocean floor. During the course of geologic time, the remains of the organisms are buried under more and more mud and sediment. Because of this, the biomass is subject to increasing pressure and temperature. These conditions, given enough time, will slowly but surely change the matter into high energy compounds that are useful to humans. Although they take such a long time to create, fossil fuels are used at an astonishing rate and within a century will be gone. This is a very scary thought, given how dependent the world is on these energy sources. Nonrenewable fossil fuels permeate our very existence in almost every possible fashion. Petroleum, the fossil fuel from which oil is derived from, is used in making many household items that are absolutely essential to everyday living. All plastics are made from petroleum, whether it is the action figure your little brother plays with or the pacemaker that helps Grandma’s heart pumping. The paint that brightens the walls of your room, the lubricant needed to turn the gears on your bike, the asphalt of your driveway, and the gasoline that runs your car are also all petroleum products. Coal is very often crushed and ignited to produce lots of heat, which in turn boils the water in a boiler. The released steam is used to turn the turbines in electric generators and supplies the energy needed for me to type this on my home computer.