Social and economic factors to consider when using fuels

• The extraction and consumption of fuels has led to a lot of problems in recent years
• Problems include:
• Pollution which includes
• Land pollution as oil is spilled during drilling, extraction and transportation
• Sea pollution as oil is spilled during drilling, extraction and transportation
• Air pollution when fuels are burnt
• In addition to this direct contamination pollution results in
• The death of animals and birds
• The destruction of arable land and the destruction of animal habitats
• The disruption of ecosystems
• Fuels are burnt in limited air resulting in carbon monoxide and soot pollution
• Petrol additives such as lead that are added to prevent “knocking”
• Vaporize when burnt leading to higher concentration of lead in urban areas
• Lead compounds cause brain damage
• Coal components also escape and pollute the air when coal is burnt
• Sulphur and phosphorus compounds from the coal are oxidized
• This dissolve in the air resulting in acid rain
• Acid rain is harmful to structures, plants and animals
• Wood also results in pollution
• Excessive cutting of wood results in deforestation
• This in turn leads to land degradation
• Plant and animal habitats are
• Most fuel sources are non-renewable
• This means that once the resource has been used up it cannot be replenished/remade
• Examples of non-renewable sources of energy include fossil fuels
• Renewable energy sources include solar and hydro power(water energy)

Solving some of the problems results from the use of fuels

• Some of the problems resulting from the use of fuels can be mitigated
• Mitigation steps can include:
• The preferential use of renewable energy sources of energy such as solar
• Use of “clean” sources of energy such as wind, water and solar
• Replanting of trees
• Using fast growing trees such as eucalyptus for fuel
• Creating protected sanctuaries for endangered animals
• Improving the fuel efficiency of engines
• Use public transport systems to reduce the number of private cars
• Introducing carbon taxes
• Setting up methane digestors and
• Growing catch crops such as sunflower and maize
• A catch crop is a crop that can be used for both food and energy
• For example sunflower oil can be mixed with diesel
• Blending fuels
• Using biofuels

To access more topics go to the Combined Science Notes page.