The burning of fossil fuels to fuel our electricity needs and energy consumption has been one of the most pollutive sources of air pollution. As the global population grows, more energy is needed to meet our daily energy needs thereby directly increasing the burning of fossil fuels. Often the burning of fossil fuels also leads to large emissions of harmful air pollutants. Most of the emissions of human-caused greenhouse gases (GHG) come primarily from burning fossil fuels such as coal, hydrocarbon gas liquids, natural gas, and petroleum for energy use.
https://www.ourworldofenergy.com/vignettes.php?type=introduction-to-energy&id=3
The burning of fossil fuels is the major source of the generation of most of our energy to provide us with electricity and other energy needs. Even today, oil, coal, and gas provide for about 80 percent of our energy needs. According to a study, air pollution from burning fossil fuels is responsible for more than 4m premature deaths around the world each year and costs the global economy about $8bn a day (Taylor, 2020). A study also found that NO2, from petrol and diesel vehicles, power plants and factories, is associated with an estimated 4m new cases of asthma in children each year. An estimated 16 million children live with the condition due to long term exposure to fossil fuel pollution as these power plants and factories are located near to the population (Taylor, 2020). This shows that the burning of fossil fuels to power up our homes and buildings are bringing about negative consequences to the environment and health of the people.
The continuous dependence that human has on fossil fuels to generate electricity to meet our ever-increasing energy needs, is detrimental for the environment. The air pollutants produced in the burning of fossil fuels, not only result in rising temperature and global warming, it is hazardous for the atmosphere and hence the air that we breathe.
To conclude, with more research on new ways to generate electricity to meet our ever-increasing energy needs, we can have a more sustainable use of resources. It is important to transit into a low carbon dependence society by not burning too much fossil fuels which are heavily pollutive by nature. It is high time that countries around the globe move toward a clean energy future.
In the next blog, I will be talking about the types of fossil fuels and its effect on air pollution.
Till next time!
References;
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/us-energy-facts/
Taylor, M. (2020, February 12). Fossil fuel pollution behind 4m premature deaths a year – study. Retrieved November 06, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/12/fossil-fuel-pollution-behind-4m-premature-deaths-a-year-study