Other Environmental Impacts of Fossil Fuels

This otter's oil-covered fur is the result of an oil spill. Oil spills can seriously harm or kill marine and terrestrial wildlife, with impacts that last for decades.

Fossil fuels are non-renewable resources, meaning that once they are used they cannot be replaced or recreated. They also present environmental problems during their extraction and transportation. In contrast, clean energy relies on renewable resources and has minimal impacts on the environment.

Fuel and Resource Conservation

Fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—are created by the slow decomposition of organic deposits that were trapped under the earth millions of years ago. People began extracting them for fuel when it was discovered that these materials could be burned to create energy. However, because they cannot be recreated at anywhere near the same rate that we use them, we have significantly reduced their supply. Based on current known reserves and consumption of these fuels, the following amount of each fossil fuel remains available as of 2003:

Oil: Approximately 1,000 billion barrels, enough to last 38 years
Natural Gas: Approximately 5,400 trillion cubic feet, enough to last 59 years
Coal: Approximately 1,000 billion metric tons, enough to last 245 years

As this supply continues to be depleted, fossil fuel prices will go up and either additional fossil fuel supplies or new sources of energy will need to be found. While it is possible that additional supplies will be discovered, current rates of consumption and timeframes for discovery of new supplies indicate that other sources of energy need to be developed as soon as possible to ensure energy security.

Land and Water Impacts

Because fossil fuels are buried deep in the ground, they must be extracted and transported to their various end uses. This causes a variety of environmental problems both locally and nationwide:

Surface and ground water pollution: Oil, coal, and gas are typically found underground below groundwater levels. During extraction, drilling can break the barrier between fossil fuel and groundwater reserves. Later during storage and transportation, broken pipes or storage tanks can also contaminate water supplies.

Drilling mud releases: During extraction, drilling fluids or "muds" are used for lubrication. These muds contain certain toxic and non-toxic, but damaging, chemicals. They contaminate the immediate area being drilled and are often dumped nearby, causing more environmental contamination.

Land subsidence: When oil and gas are removed from a reserve under the earth, this leaves what is essentially a large hole underground. When there is no longer anything to support the land above, the land can collapse, causing environmental and property damage.

Land and wildlife disruption: Extraction of fossil fuels requires significant infrastructure to remove the fuel from the earth. Roads, storage tanks, oil and gas wells, and other development must be built to support extraction. Because much fossil fuel extraction takes place in rural or wild areas, this development often has significant impacts on plants and wildlife.

Oil spills during transportation: Possibly the most visible impact of fossil fuel production is the potential for environmental disaster during transportation. A number of high-profile oil spills have illustrated the extent of environmental damage possible. On a smaller scale, storage tank leakage and other accidents can directly damage local environments. The pollution effects of these accidents can last for tens of years and sometimes longer, and cleanup is often costly.

< Emissions and Health | Fuel Supply and Reliability >