1.Fossil fuels

Fossil fuel:

Fossil fuels, in terms of energy, involve the burning of coal or hydrocarbon fuels, which are the remains of the decomposition of plants and animals. Steam power plant combustion heats water to create steam, which turns a turbine, which, in turn, generates electricity, waste heat, and pollution. There are three main types of fossil fuels: coal, petroleum, and natural gas.

Pros:
Because it is based on the simple process of combustion, the burning of fossil fuels can generate large amounts of electricity with a small amount of fuel. Gas-fired power plants are more efficient than coal fired power plants.
Fossil fuels such as coal are readily available and are currently plentiful. Excluding external costs, coal is less expensive than most other sources of energy because there are large deposits of coal in the world.
The technology already exists for the use of fossil fuels, though oil and natural gas are approaching peak production and will require a transition to other fuels and/or other measures.
Commonly used fossil fuels in liquid form such as light crude oil, gasoline, and liquefied propane gas are easy to distribute.



Cons:
The combustion of fossil fuels leads to the release of pollution into the atmosphere. A typical coal plant produces:[2]
3,700,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary human cause of global warming.
10,000 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2), the leading cause of acid rain
500 tons of small airborne particles, which result in chronic bronchitis, aggravated asthma, and premature death, in addition to haze-obstructed visibility.
10,200 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx), leading to formation of ozone (smog) which inflames the lungs, burning lung tissue making people more susceptible to respiratory illness.
720 tons of carbon monoxide (CO), resulting in headaches and additional stress on people with heart disease.
220 tons of hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOC), which form ozone.
170 pounds of mercury, where just 1/70th of a teaspoon deposited on a 25-acre lake can make the fish unsafe to eat.
225 pounds of arsenic, which will cause cancer in one out of 100 people who drink water containing 50 parts per billion.
114 pounds of lead, 4 pounds of cadmium, other toxic heavy metals, and trace amounts of uranium.
Dependence on fossil fuels from volatile regions or countries creates energy security risks for dependent countries. Oil dependence in particular has lead to monopolization, war, and socio-political instability.
They are considered non-renewable resources, which will eventually decline in production and become exhausted, with dire consequences to societies that remain highly dependent on them. Fossil fuels are actually slowly forming continuously, but we are using them up at a rate approximately 100,000 times faster than they are formed.
Extracting fossil fuels is becoming more difficult as we consume the most accessible fuel deposits. Extraction of fossil fuels is becoming more expensive and more dangerous as mines get deeper and oil rigs go further out to sea.[3]
Extraction of fossil fuels can result in extensive environmental degradation, such as the strip mining and mountaintop removal of coal.
The drilling and transportation of petroleum can result in accidents that result in the despoilation of hundreds of kilometers of beaches and the death or elimination of many forms of wildlife in the area.
The storage of these fuels can result in accidents with explosions and poisoning of the atmosphere and groundwater

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