Why do we say fossil fuels are non-renewable?
2007-02-12 06:41:27 · 10 answers · asked by slugg 1 in Environment
Oil and coal take millions of years to create, thus making them non-renewable to present life.
2007-02-12 06:44:15 · answer #1 · answered by Mitch H 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Geologist used to believe in a hot accretion theory for the formation of the earth. This means the earth formed from a melted magma. With this theory, petroleum, methane, etc. would have been destroyed. Therefore, they came up with a theory for a mechanism for the formation of coal, gas, and petroleum. It turns out the the hot accretion theory is probably wrong and that the earth formed from a cold accretion. This allowed the hydrocarbons in comets and meteors to be retained deep within the earth (hundreds of miles). The methane seeped out and formed the "fossil" fuels. The theory of fossil fuels is probably incorrect but still favored by most geologists outside Russia. The seeping methane is pretty much renewable and accounts for the vast reserves of methane hydrates on the bottom of the ocean. Obviously if it were formed from fossils, the coal, petroleum, and methane would be more limited. Either way it is finite in volume.
2007-02-12 08:12:37 · answer #2 · answered by JimZ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Right. Those fuels take a very long time to produce. Meanwhile we are going through them at a very fast rate.
How fast?
If every person in India and China used fossil fuels at the rate of the average person in MEXICO, the world's supply of petrolem will last no more than 2 YEARS.
2007-02-12 06:56:52 · answer #3 · answered by fredrick z 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The process to create fossil fuels takes so long that they are effectively non-renewable.
2007-02-12 06:45:09 · answer #4 · answered by feanor 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Fossil fules are non-renewable because they take millions of years to form under the surface of the planet. They are not something that we can easily replace or re-new.
Tidal power, wind energy and bio fuels are consistent resources which are contantly renewing themselves. Hence renewable!
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2007-02-12 08:55:57 · answer #5 · answered by jameso79 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
LOL yes Fossil fuels like oil are formed from the preserved remains of organisms including phytoplankton and zooplankton that have settled to the sea (or lake) bottom in large quantities under anoxic conditions. Coal is a formed from the remains of trees, ferns and other decayed plants that existed and died up to 400 million years ago in some cases.
2016-05-24 01:32:36 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are renewed on a very long time scale - far faster than they are used.
2007-02-12 06:44:12 · answer #7 · answered by fucose_man 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they are. You can't grow more oil or coal. Once we've used what's currently available, there will be no more.
2007-02-12 06:44:45 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they are.
2007-02-12 06:43:42 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://www.wwf.org.uk/core/index.asp
http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0702/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
why not do the research yourself?!!
2007-02-14 21:36:21 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋