'''Fossil Fuels''' are predominately [[hydrocarbon]] material formed from plant material over geological time under heat and pressure. Examples include [[coal]] and [[oil]] and their derived products of [[petroleum]] or [[gasoline]]. A lot of coal comes from [[West Virginia]], [[Wyoming]] and [[Pennsylvania]]. A lot of oil comes from the [[Middle East]] and [[Venezuela]]. The United States has many oil reserves that remain untapped due to interference from [[Environmentalism|environmentalists]].Because of the long time period required for fossil fuels to be produced in nature, fossil fuels are a finite resource. (See [[Hubbert's peak]].)
* "We owe our industrial society and elevated standard of living to fossil fuels." [http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/cas/Trenberth/XchangeGray_FtCollinsFeb08.pdf]
==Uses==
Fossil fuels have been criticized as producing a lot of pollution, including [[sulfur dioxide]] (from small amounts of organic sulfur compounds), which sometimes produces [[acid rain]], and [[carbon dioxide]], a [[greenhouse gas]].
==Finite Resource?==
Because of the long time period required for fossil fuels to be produced in nature, fossil fuels are a finite resource. (See [[Hubbert's peak]].)
==External Links==
* "We owe our industrial society and elevated standard of living to fossil fuels." [http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/cas/Trenberth/XchangeGray_FtCollinsFeb08.pdf]
*[http://www.bydesign.com/fossilfuels/links/html/coal.html]]
*[http://www.exxon.com/USA-English/gFM/home_Contact_Us/homepage.asp]
[[Category:Earth Sciences]]
[[category: environment]]