What you'll learn
How fossil fuels form, how they are used, and their impacts.
Fossil fuels
- Coal, oil and natural gas formed from ancient organisms over millions of years — they are finite (non-renewable).
- Used for electricity generation, transport and industry.
Advantages and disadvantages
- Advantages: reliable, high energy output, established technology.
- Disadvantages: CO₂ and greenhouse gases, air pollution and acid rain, oil spills, and eventual depletion.
Management
- Improving efficiency, cleaner technologies (e.g. carbon capture), and shifting toward renewables.
Exam tips
- Give balanced advantages and disadvantages.
- Link fossil-fuel use to climate change and acid rain.
Common mistakes
- Calling fossil fuels renewable.
- Ignoring their reliability advantage in evaluations.