Because of carbon fuels, we have gone from a horse and buggy lifestyle to the digital revolution. Understand the history of carbon fuels, and you understand the advancements in our way of life. History of Carbon Fuels There are many different ways to obtain energy to power our world. Solar power, hydro power and wind power are all interesting forms of energy that are being researched for more ecologically safe alternatives to current power sources. Today, however, most items in our world are powered by carbon fuels. These fuels are easily burned in combustion engines and other machinery in order to produce power for most of our needs at the current time. The history of carbon fuels starts millions of years ago before even the age of dinosaurs. The period in which the formation of carbon fuels began is known as the Carboniferous period, due to carbon being the main component of carbon fuels (which, incidentally, are also known as hydrocarbons). Carbon fuels started out as plants and animals, which were living on the Earth during this time period (mostly in watery and ocean areas). When these plants and animals died, they settled to the bottom of these waters and formed a decomposing pile known as peat. As the water and land formations of the Earth changed over various periods, and sediment and other items piled on top of the peat, pressure began to change the peat into something different. Here is when the history of carbon fuels as the substance we know now really begins. A combination of the pressure from materials stacking on top of the decomposing peat, as well as heat from the inner layers of the Earth, changed the chemical and physical properties of the peat. It became the different types of carbon fuels we see today such as coal, oil and natural gas. Coal was the first of the carbon fuels to be used by humans for heat and power - in fact, there is evidence that cavemen even used burning coal for cooking and heating their caves. Coal is also one of the most abundant of carbon fuels with stores of the material being found in many parts of the world. Plentiful and easy to use but dirty and crude, coal is not as frequently burned today because of the negative impact on the environment. Oil and natural gas are also commonly used today. They form the energy basis for everything from running out cars to the production of electricity to the warming of our homes. In understanding the advancements made in our way of life, however, oil is really the key. Although many arguments can be made for the great advancements civilization has seen in the last 100 years, none is more convincing then the role of oil. Oil has produced by the lubricant and fuel necessary for transportation on a vast scale. Think about it. You can get in your car and drive anywhere to meet with others. For business and science, the ability to hop on a plane and travel across the great seas cannot be understated. Each of these transportation opportunities presented us with an ability to exchange commerce and ideas on a time sensitive basis. If you doubt this, image what the world would look like today if we were still riding horses and had to take a month trip to cross the ocean. It would be a much less advanced word indeed. In fact, you would not be reading this because there would be no Internet to speak of. The history of carbon fuels is the history of mankind. Without them, we would not have made many of the advancements we have today and we certainly would not be sitting in rush hour traffic! |
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