80% of the energy used in the developed world comes from burning fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas. When fossil fuels are burned heat and greenhouse gases escape.

Most transport is dependent on oil as a source of energy, including cars, lorries and aeroplanes. Petrol, paraffin and diesel oil are all made from crude oil and used as fuels crude oil is sometimes used to make other things like soaps, cosmetics, plastics, and paints.

Another form of energy we use in our homes and industries is electricity, which is made in power stations. Heat is released by burning the fossil fuels, which turns water into steam, which drives turbines. We also use gas as a source of energy. Some natural gas is sent directly to us but most gas is converted into electricity.

All of these resources are finite and will eventually run out. Burning fossil fuels is also the main cause of the greenhouse gases that cause the earth to heat up in the process called global warming. Carbon dioxide (CO2) gas released into the atmosphere is one of the biggest contributors to global warming.

The effects of global warming are hardly out of the news these days – rising sea levels the polar ice caps melting temperature increases leading to droughts, desertification, and loss of agricultural land extreme weather conditions, floods and forest fires across the globe. We must accept our responsibility in creating and resolving this problem.

Energy usage causes pollution of the air. The air in some areas, mainly big cities, is so polluted that people are suffering from lung diseases. Petrol fumes and industrial smoke accounts for most of this pollution putting carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, soot, oil vapour, lead, and sulphur dioxide into the air around us.

Acid rain is created by the release of certain chemicals into the atmosphere by the burning of fuel from vehicles, industries, and power stations. Some of these gases react with the tiny droplets of water in clouds to form sulphuric acid and nitric acid. The rain from these clouds then falls as very weak acid (which can be as acidic as vinegar or lemon juice!)  Acid rain travels great distances and has a serious effect on soil, trees, buildings and water, and threatens life of many creatures and plants.

The use of fossil fuels also leads to other pollution when oil spills and illegal dumping kill many sea mammals, birds and fish. Only 2% of oil pollution in the oceans is actually caused by tanker spills, 11% comes from natural seepage, 13% from the atmosphere, 24% from transport, and an incredible 50% is washed off roads into drains or buried in the soil – when it could be recycled!

 TAKE ACTIONS-

We could use alternative energy – like nuclear power – but this is not cheap and there are risks involved. Also, reserves of uranium that it uses are also finite: there?s only around 50 years worth left if we continue to use it at the present rate. Or Renewable energy – these are the world?s natural energy sources: wind, wave, tidal and solar power. Using them does not use them up and they have little environmental impact. 

* Use solar powered water heating systems (they cost about £1,000 and can provide up to 60% of your hot water.

* Save electricity: We waste more than half of what we produce –  through badly insulated housing, inefficient machines, lights and cars. A lot could be done to save this energy and save money too!

* At home, at work, and at school, turn off electricity points like lights, and plug sockets when they are not in use, including stand-by TVs.

* Wash clothes on lower heat settings.

* Turn your heating down just 1 degree.

* Make sure that your home, school, shop is fully insulated.

* Use long-life, low-energy light bulbs.

* Walk/cycle: minimize the use of your household car to lesson the amount of petrol used.

* Cycle, walk, use public transport, don?t take unnecessary journeys, and car-share whenever you can.

* Start a car-pool, this means a group of you share the car instead of all driving in separate cars.

* Recycle: Recycling helps to reduce the demand for resources, particularly finite ones like oil (which most plastics are made from) and metals. An incredible 2/3 of all litter in the developed world is packaging. We can reduce the amount of waste we make in the first place which means less waste needs to be disposed of or recycled.

* Buy products that use less packaging.

* Use refill packs.

* Carry home shopping in cardboard boxes instead of plastic bags.

* Create an anti-waste club at schools and youth clubs to coordinate efforts to reduce the amount of waste made.

* Re-use and repair – less energy is needed to repair/recycle something.

* Recycle everything you can – bottles, cans, paper, clothes.

* Recycle organic waste like vegetable and fruit peel on a compost heap.