Global Warming

On earth, there are an abundance of resources to use as fuel. The difficult part is deciding which one is the best to use. The sources being used now and the ones still being developed all have their advantages and disadvantages.

Current Fuel Choices

The most common choice of fuel is gasoline, which is also known as petrol. Gasoline, with a heat of combustion of 47.0 kJ/g, is a very effective mean of fueling cars, houses, generators, etc. Even though its cost is rising, it is still cheaper than almost any other source of fuel. This type of energy also allows cars to run for longer periods of time without having to stop to refuel. Even with the advantages, disadvantages are still very present. One of the biggest problems is gasoline is a non-renewable energy source. Once it is gone, it is gone for good. A further example of the problem arising from gasoline is it is a pollutant to the environment people must live and breathe in everyday.

Natural gas is source of energy that is becoming more and more popular. Like gasoline, multiple advantages and disadvantages come along with it. This fuel type is more environmentally friendly than oil or coal and has a heat of combustion of 54.0 kJ/g. Also, even though natural gas is a non-renewable resource, it is still widely underutilized meaning there is still a lot more to use. The disadvantages associated with natural gas are it is highly flammable and colorless and odorless. This makes it very dangerous if not handled properly because it is hard to detect. While natural gas is seems less expensive in the beginning, it is actually much more expensive because of the construction and maintenance of the pipelines.

Coal is a natural resource that is found in many places all over the world. Its availability makes it a very good source of fuel. Because of how accessible and available it is, it is fairly inexpensive. Coal can also generate extremely large amounts of energy in one location. The heat of combustion is for...