Fossil fuels are the remains of plants or animals. Trees that died millions of years ago got all squashed up together and buried in the earth and eventually turned into coal. Tiny creatures called plankton which floated about in the ocean, ended up on the seafloor all squidged together and turned into oil and natural gas.
Now something you should know, all life forms are made up of carbon including you kids!
So what happens when fossil fuels like coal and gas are burnt?
Well, the carbon they had inside them turns into carbon dioxide and is released into the atmosphere. And remember, this greenhouse gas traps heat and makes our planet warmer.
We literally burn through tonnes and tonnes of fossil fuels everyday. Power plants that make our electricity use coal and oil. All over the world, as well as in the UK, these power plants are the biggest source of carbon dioxide emissions, amounting to over a third.
Just think, everytime we use something which needs energy (like this computer), we are responsible for sending even more greenhouse gases into the air. |
