Fossil fuels are a hot topic of debate for those who care about the health of the planet and looking for energy alternatives. It’s not a cheap endeavor to supply and provide energy through the use of fossil fuels worldwide. The cost of fossil fuels may far outweigh the benefits of relying on them in the long run.
The potential issues surrounding fossil fuels have led many organizations to focus efforts on finding alternative energy sources. This doesn’t only mean the amount of money generated from fossil fuels, but the expense put onto the planet. The little investment made towards clean technologies may very well end up costing everyone more than we realize.
The true cost of everyone using fossil fuels may be a lot higher than what many have thought. Want to know even more about fossil fuels and their effect on planet Earth? Here are five facts that might surprise you about them, along with alternatives that you should consider.
What are fossil fuels?
Fossil fuels are natural fuels generated from the remains of living organisms. This would include coal or gas made from the remains of dead animals extracted from underground.
The monetary cost of fossil fuels
Talking about fossil fuels involves discussions about large sums of money. While regular people are paying $2 to $5 per gallon at the local pump, companies that provide are making millions of dollars in subsidies. In 2018, Peabody Energy received a net income of $544 million and Arch Coal had a net income of $313 million.
Despite there being research that says the use of fossil fuels can be detrimental to the planet, it cost the world around $423 billion of taxpayer money for subsidizing fossil fuels.
Who actually pays?
Fossil fuel companies don’t end up paying as much as they should for the use of fossil fuels because most policies don’t make them pay for any externalized costs. This would include environmental damages and any public health or transportation-related costs.
Instead, the costs of everything end up coming from pollution and health risks that the public undertakes.
Fossil fuel pollution
Outside of the cost of producing and using fossil fuels, their usage also comes with other negative effects to everyone.
Gasoline and diesel use releases carbon monoxide into the atmosphere and pollutes the air we breathe, affecting everybody’s health. People can miss work for health reasons like diseases, with about 1.8 million days of work missed and $2.2 trillion in air pollution costs every year.
The alternative energy sources
There are many alternative sources of energy that can be used instead of fossil fuels. This includes hydrogen gas, solar energy, wind energy, and hydroelectric energy. Each provides lower fuel prices and the reduction of pollution into the atmosphere. You can find out more about solar energy by visiting https://blueravensolar.com and reading about clean abundant renewable energy.
Other energy alternatives include nuclear power, biofuels, natural gas, and geothermal power. They all allow for different options but have their own pros and cons for using them over fossil fuels.
Working towards A better future
As issues with the cost of fossil fuels continue to be discussed more, the need to find alternative sources of energy will become more necessary.
The biggest benefit will be the reduction in the cost of relying on fossil fuels for so long, bettering the health of our planet down the line. Find out more by visiting Blue Raven Solar and seeing how solar energy works.
