10: Conventional and Sustainable Energy
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- 10.3: Fossil Fuels- Formation and Mining
- Fossils fuels are extractable, nonrenewable sources of stored energy created by ancient ecosystems. The natural resources that typically fall under this category are coal, oil (petroleum), and natural gas. Coal formed from swamp vegetation, while oil and natural gas formed from marine microbes. In both cases, ancient organisms were transformed under high temperatures and pressures over millions of years.
Thumbnail image - Wind farm near Copenhagen, Denmark. In 2014 wind power met 39% of electricity demand in Denmark.