Environment and Fossil Fuels [ENDORSED]

[Amir Bayat]

What are the effects of fossil fuels on the environment in terms of the laws of thermodynamics?

[Chem_Mod]

As I discussed in class burning/combustion is exothermic which is why wood, coal, natural gas, diesel, etc., are used as energy sources. Also discussed in class, when burning hydrocarbons the same products are produced, H₂O and CO₂. Also discussed was CO₂ reacting with H₂O to produce carbonic acid, H₂CO₃, which leads to acid rain. This happens normally with wild fires, but if there is an excess of fossil fuel burning then there is an excess of CO₂.

Note: Electric cars, bikes, etc., are charged by electricity that is produced in power plants that burn gas and coal. EVs are not zero emissions.

[Leonardo Le Merle 1D]

Although electric vehicles are not entirely zero emission, they ultimately convert over much more of the energy from fossil fuels power at the wheels. Conventional gasoline vehicles only convert a small fraction of the energy stored in gasoline to power at the wheels