James Weifu Lee
For more than a century, fossil fuels have provided the majority of the energy neededto powerour automobiles, run ourbusinesses,andkeepourhomeslit.Oil, coal,andgastill provide about 80% of our energy needs today. Coal, petroleum, natural gas, oil shale, bitumen, tar sands, and heavy oilsare examples of fossil fuels. All are carbon-based and were generated by geologic processes acting on the remains of organic matter created by photosynthesis, which began in the Archean Eon (4.0 billion to 2.5 billion years ago). The four types of fossil fuels are petroleum, coal, natural gas, and or imulsion. What Are Fossil Fuels and How Do They Work? Coal,crude oil,and natural gas are all classified as fossil fuels since they were created by the decomposition of organic matter. Fossil fuels have highcarboncontentduetotheirorigins.