Their occurrence, extraction and transportation change political systems, trigger wars, make the rich richer and the poor poorer - but not only that - their use is largely responsible for man-made climate change. Yet it is so difficult to live without them.
Since the industrial revolution in the 19th century, fossil fuels have been an integral part of our lives. Without them, the world as we know it today would not exist.
What are fossil fuels?
Coal
It is produced by the deposition and compaction of plant material and is one of the oldest and most widely used fossil fuels.
Coal is mainly used to generate electricity in coal-fired power plants. However, its combustion produces large quantities of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which contribute to air pollution and the greenhouse effect.
Crude oil
Petroleum, or crude oil, is a viscous liquid that occurs in underground deposits.
It is formed by the deep weathering of organic materials. Crude oil is a versatile energy source that is primarily used to produce fuels for transport, but also for the manufacture of plastics, fertilizers and other chemical products. The combustion of crude oil also produces large quantities of greenhouse gases.
Natural gas
Natural gas mainly consists of methane and is found in underground deposits.
It is often seen as a cleaner alternative to coal and oil, as less CO₂ and pollutants are released when natural gas is burned. Natural gas is used to generate electricity, to heat buildings and as a fuel for vehicles.
Peat
Peat is an early precursor of coal and consists of dead plant remains that have been preserved in bogs and swamps over long periods of time. Its energy content is relatively low. Peat is used as a fuel for heating in some countries, but has become less important due to its limited availability and the associated environmental impact (peat is a great carbon store, which is released during extraction).
As indicated above, the problems with fossil fuels are far-reaching.
If the global community were to make the fatal decision to actually recover and burn the last reserves of oil, gas and coal, this would have catastrophic consequences for the climate on our planet and thus for the continued existence of humanity.
For this reason, alternative energy sources that are renewable and more environmentally friendly are increasingly being sought worldwide in order to end dependence on fossil fuels and build more sustainable energy systems. This means energy transition.
Welcome to Saving energy at school. Here you will find detailed information on the topics from our Metaverse room.
The Metaverse room consists of 7 rooms:
- Entrance
- Energy
- Energy saving
- Future
- Auditorium
- Cinema
- Tasks
In the rooms you will find various articles that you can open on the Internet by clicking on "View".
Start your puzzle rally in the task room. You can also download the game instructions here.
Travel through three different levels and solve all the tasks. Each answer has a code number that you need to unlock the final quiz. Enter all the code numbers in your game instructions!
Once you have completed all the tasks, travel through the final quiz portal in the task room and enter your solution password there to check whether you have solved all the tasks correctly.
Your certificate is waiting for you! Have fun!
