The highest rate of consumption in the world today is that of fossil fuels. They are a man's best friend. Fossil fuel is a term used to describe a collection of energy sources formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition during the Carboniferous era millions of years ago. During the Carboniferous era, the land was covered in swamps teeming with plants and organisms. When these plants and organisms died, they sank to the bottom of these swamps and oceans. Over millions of years, dead plants and animals began to decompose under huge layers of clay, sand and other minerals. Fossil fuels include oil, coal and natural gas. In fact, the entire world depends on fossil fuels to meet its daily energy needs. Although the adoption of renewable energy sources has increased dramatically over the last decade, it will still take a few years to dramatically reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay The consumption of these fossil fuels is going at a high rate, which means that once we have exhausted them all, we have to rely on alternative energy sources such as solar, wind and hydroelectric to meet our daily needs . It sounds pretty scary, but yes, this is the truth. While fossil fuels have their benefits, the damage they cause to the environment can affect the entire ecosystem. This world has no choice but to use existing fossil fuels until scientists find technology that can produce energy at the same rate without impacting the environment. Different types of fossil fuels form depending on a mixture of factors including organic matter, temperature, time and pressure conditions during decomposition. Today there are three main types of fossil fuels; oil, natural gas and coal. Most of the coal we use today was formed about 300 million years ago. During that time, a large percentage of the land consisted of steamy swamps. As trees and plants died, their remains settled to the bottom of the swamps, forming huge layers of plant material. The plant layers eventually formed a soggy, thick material known as peat. The oil was formed from the remains of dead plants and animals that settled on the ocean floor. Over the years, the remains of dead plants and animals were buried deeper and deeper by the accumulated sediment, causing increased heat and pressure. The application of heat and pressure without the presence of oxygen (anaerobic decomposition) led to the decomposition of these dead plant and animal substances, leading to the formation of oil. Natural gas was formed the same way as oil; only the intensity of heat and pressure increased significantly causing the oil to further decompose into gaseous form. Although most governments are increasingly embracing renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal, fossil fuels are still the dominant energy source in the world due to their high energy density. Fossil fuels have a wide range of applications, including generating electricity, fuel for transportation, making products such as plastics, cosmetics and even some medicines. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get Custom EssayAdvantages of Fossil FuelsNowadays, it is quite difficult to side with fuels.