Fossil existing resources

Nowhere is the effect of anthropogenic stress felt more than in the development of natural resources of the Earth. Natural resources are varied in nature and often require definition. Eor example, in relation to mineral resources, for which there is also descriptive nomenclature (ASTM C294), the terms related to the available quantities of the resource must be defined. In this instance, the term resource refers to the total amount of the mineral that has been estimated to be available ultimately. The term reserves refers to well-identified resources that can profitably be extracted and utilized by means of existing technology. In many countries, fossil fuel resources are often classified as a subgroup of the total mineral resources. 

Petroleum is a resource, in particular, petroleum is a fossil fuel resource (Speight, 1999). A resource is the entire commodity that exists in the sediments and strata whereas the reserves represent that fraction of a commodity that can be recovered economically. However, the use of the term reserves as being descriptive of the resource is subject to much speculation. In fact, it is subject to word variations For example, reserves are classed as proved, unproved, probable, possible, and undiscovered. 

Natural gas hydrates are becoming more and more important as an invaluable fossil fuel resource. As much as 1018 cubic meters of natural gas may exist in the hydrate state, which has not been exploited on a large scale. The amount of natural gas hydrates is enormous and enough to replace all other forms of fossil fuels. Much of Alaska, Northern Canada, and Siberia have climates suitable for natural gas hydrate formation. Virtually the entire ocean bottom also has conditions suitable for natural gas hydrate formation. Up to 3 m thickness of hydrates can be found [81]. 

The largest untapped fossil fuel resource in the United States is the oil bearing shales in the western part of the country and the black shales in the east. The oil shale resource concentrated in three western states is estimated to be equivalent to more than two trillion barrels of crude oil. An additional two trillion barrels of oil exists in the lean deposits of the Eastern U.S. 

Contrary to popular belief, there is no practical resource limit to human ability to load fossil fuel carbon into the atmosphere. While the resource base of conventional oil and gas is limited, the amount of carbon stored in fossil fuels is not. Table 1.2 describes the distribution of carbon in fossil fuel resources. The amount of carbon stored in the form of conventional oil and gas is only about half the mass of carbon existing in the atmosphere. The amount of carbon stored in the form of coal resources could exceed the amount of carbon in the atmosphere by as much as an order of magnitude. Further, the... 

The use of nuclear power has been a topic of debate for many years. Nuclear fuel represents a resource for generating energy weU into the future, whereas economically recoverable fossil fuel reserves may become depleted. Worker exposure, injuries, and fataHties in nuclear fuel mining are reportedly far less compared to those associated with recovery and handling of fossil fuels. Potential hazards associated with transporting and storing radioactive wastes do exist, however. 

Starch and cellulose are potentially important renewable resources for chemical production. Glucose (a component of starch) is relatively easy to obtain from plant material and is used to synthesize existing chemicals. While this is so, the production of such renewable materials, a full fife-cycle assessment of the requirements for their production suggest that much fossil-soiuced energy and material would stiU be employed in the growing, harvesting and processing of biomass. 

Our earth is limited but not closed. Nearly 100% energy source of living creatures depends on photosynthesis, including the fossil fuels that are the main energy resource of human life. This is the important point for our future that our earth is open to the universe, more correctly to the sun. If the earth is closed no animals and plants can exist. The first law of thermodynamics designates that the... 

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