Energy in the field of physics refers to the ability to do work and can exist in various forms such as mechanical, thermal, electrical, chemical, nuclear, or other forms. The sources of energy used by people around the world are divided into two main categories: renewable and non-renewable. While renewable sources such as solar and wind energy are practically unlimited, non-renewable sources are limited. Non-renewable energy is supplied from sources that will run out or cannot be replaced for thousands or even millions of years. The main sources of non-renewable energy are fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Most fossil fuels are burned to create energy and electricity. Other non-renewable energies such as nuclear energy (uranium) are not classified as fossil fuels, but they are still rare and non-renewable. Carbon is the main element in fossil fuels. These non-renewable fuels provide about eighty percent of the world’s energy. They are burned to

Coal is the largest non-renewable energy source in the world. It provides one-third of the world’s energy. Approximately half of the electricity in the United States is generated from coal. The emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) from burning coal accounts for forty percent of the world’s greenhouse gases, making it the largest contributor to global warming since the industrial era.

Crude oil, or petroleum, is a liquid fossil fuel that is converted into gasoline for about half of the world’s oil. Diesel fuel is another use for this resource. The use of oil accounts for about half of carbon emissions in the United States and about one-third of total greenhouse gas production worldwide.

Natural gas can also be used to generate electricity. It is used for heating, cooking, and sometimes as fuel for vehicles. Natural gas has surpassed coal and has become the primary fuel for electricity production in the United States. In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, natural gas is cleaner than coal and oil.

Disadvantages of non-renewable energies; emission of greenhouse gases and global warming.

Although non-renewable energy sources have benefits such as high energy availability, easy use of these sources anywhere, and easy access to this energy, burning fossil fuels also disrupts the Earth’s “carbon budget” which maintains a balance of carbon in the ocean, land, and air. When fossil fuels are burned, they release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a gas that traps heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, a process known as the “greenhouse effect.” The greenhouse effect is essential for life on Earth, but it relies on a balanced carbon budget. Burning fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, also release particles that can pollute the air, water, and land. Some of these particles can be controlled, but many are released into the air. The use of fossil fuels is harmful to the environment due to their extraction and processing methods, as well as their use and disposal.

As mentioned, the most recognized impact of using non-renewable energy sources is the emission of greenhouse gases (especially carbon dioxide and methane) which leads to climate change. For example, coal is considered the worst emitter of carbon dioxide. In the United States, the carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation, calculated in 2015, show that seventy-one percent of it is attributed to coal.

Global warming

Global warming is not a new scientific concept. It is a term that refers to the overall warming of the Earth and its atmosphere. The warming of the Earth occurs when carbon dioxide and other air pollutants accumulate in the atmosphere and absorb the sunlight and solar radiation that have been reflected from the Earth’s surface. Typically, this radiation goes back into space, but these pollutants, which can persist in the atmosphere for years to centuries, trap the heat and cause the Earth to warm up. These heat-trapping pollutants, especially carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxide, water vapor, and synthetic fluorinated gases, are known as greenhouse gases. Burning fossil fuels is the main cause of global warming, as it releases carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a major greenhouse gas. Essentially, these gases thicken the Earth’s atmosphere, acting like a blanket to keep it warm. Greenhouse gases are necessary to trap some heat to maintain livable conditions on Earth, but by

There are three factors that affect the impact of greenhouse gases on global warming: their abundance in the atmosphere, their residence time in the atmosphere, and their global warming potential. For example, water vapor is the most abundant greenhouse gas, but according to NASA, carbon dioxide has a greater impact on global warming due to its abundance in the atmosphere and its relatively long residence time of 300 to 1000 years. On the other hand, a study published in the journal “Atmospheric Science” in 2020 showed that the residence time of water vapor is less than ten days.

The effects of global warming are felt everywhere. Intense heat waves have caused the deaths of tens of thousands of people around the world in recent years. The South Pole has lost nearly four trillion tons of ice since the 1990s, serving as a warning sign for future events. According to some experts, if we continue to burn fossil fuels at our current rate, it will cause sea levels to rise by

Examples of the effects of global warming as a result of burning fossil fuels:

• Melting polar ice

• Faster melting of refrigerators and their decline.

• Weather changes

• Increase in ocean water level

• The increase in sea levels has caused more flooding in coastal communities.

Scientists believe that if we cannot reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, climate change could lead to the death of over 250,000 people annually worldwide and force 100 million people into poverty by 2030.

Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

Governments around the world are currently working to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases caused by fossil fuels in order to prevent the worst effects of climate change. At the international level, countries have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions as part of the 2015 Paris Agreement. These efforts mainly focus on replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, increasing energy efficiency, and using electricity in sectors such as transportation and buildings.

However, many carbon-emitting sources such as existing power plants that use natural gas and coal are currently locked in. Due to the world’s continuous dependence on fossil fuels, many believe that in addition to efforts to replace them, we also need to clean up carbon from the air using technologies such as carbon capture, where emissions are directed underground for storage or recycled before reaching the atmosphere. Currently, only a handful of projects on a commercial scale around the world are capturing carbon dioxide from fossil fuel emissions, while its high costs hinder wider acceptance.

Factors influencing the increasing use of non-renewable energies.

The capitalist system is made up of three pillars: knowledge, power, and capital. The capital of this system is derived from the people’s capital, which is obtained by controlling the people’s work. Nowadays, money is used to evaluate work and because money is in the hands of the capitalist system, one must work for it. The capitalist system is always striving to produce goods by seizing the value of the work done by the people and with the limited capital it provides. This system must consider the consumer who will buy the goods. It buys these goods with the value of work, which is money. With the increase in consumerism, its environmental effects become more pronounced. For example, the government advertises for the use of mobile phones or televisions and creates false needs, extracting minerals, gold, and oil, or producing a pair of leather shoes, causing damage to nature. With the growth of consumerism and people buying goods for which they must pay money, the pillar of capital in the

The use of renewable energies, such as solar energy, which can provide the necessary electricity for each household without the need to pay taxes for electricity and gas, is very effective. Science has reached a stage where renewable energies can replace non-renewable energies, but the capitalist system prevents the expansion of the use of renewable energies. For example, the amount of energy that reaches the earth from the sun is ten thousand times more than the energy needed by humans. Energy consumption in 2050 will be fifty to three hundred percent more than today’s consumption. However, if only one-tenth of the earth’s surface is covered with solar energy converters and they have only ten percent efficiency, it is enough to meet the energy needs of humanity. The amount of solar energy is amazing. On average, every square meter of the earth’s surface receives one hundred and twenty-four watts of solar power. In other words, we can put a one hundred and fifty-watt light bulb in every square meter of the

Non-renewable energies, especially fossil fuels, are one of the most important sources of energy for humans, but due to the negative impacts they have on the environment and global warming, there is an urgent need for governments and people to take action towards replacing them with renewable energies such as solar energy.

Notes:

1. Hilly Rose, Lynn, various examples of non-renewable resources, SFGate, December 14, 2018.

2. Officer, Majid, the main factor in environmental destruction, Week Magazine website, December 24, 2009.

3. What is a solar cell? – From zero to one hundred, Faradars website, 13 Dey 1399.

4. For more information, refer to: the official website of the National Geographic Society, renewable energy.