If natural resouces (natural gas, oil, and coal) are formed by extreme pressure acting on material made mainly of carbon, why don't we send large amounts of useless carbon based things to Venus where there is very extreme surface pressure?

Coal, oil, and natural gas are often called "fossil fuels" because they come from things that lived on Earth millions of years ago (fossils!). When plants and animals, including dinosaurs, died, their bodies were buried beneath layers of Earth and squeezed together. After a very, very long time the plant and animal remains reacted with the Earth's heat and were transformed into fossil fuels. So, the next time your parents pull into the gas station, tell them to "Fill 'er up with Tyrannosaurus"!

Many people are concerned about finding new fuel sources since we will probably run out of fossil fuels in the future. But sending our dead plants and animals to Venus to make more fuel is probably not going to work. First, Venus doesn't have the tiny organisms we need to break down dead things--like worms and maggots!! Second, Venus is VERY hot! Our carcasses would probably burn before we could bury them! Third, it would cost a LOT of money to send dead stuff to Venus (and UPS does NOT deliver to Venus!). And finally, since burning fossil fuels pollutes our atmosphere, we're probably better off if we try to find energy sources that don't harm our environment, like wind and solar power.

However you're right about one thing, Venus's pressure is definitely "extreme"! In fact, its 90 times greater than on Earth--enough to crush a human being! If you wanted to experience a similar pressure on Earth, you'd have to go deep sea diving 3,000 feet below the ocean's surface. But if you're going to try it, be sure to travel in a pressurized submarine like Jacques Cousteau's "Nautilus", since no scuba diver would ever make it at this depth!

If natural resouces (natural gas, oil, and coal) are formed by extreme pressure acting on material made mainly of carbon, why don't we send large amounts of useless carbon based things to Venus where there is very extreme surface pressure?

Coal, oil, and natural gas are often referred to as "fossil fuels" because they are derived from the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. Yes, dinosaurs too! (So the next time you pull into the gas station, ask the attendant to "Fill 'er up with T. rex--unleaded, of course!")

Living things are made mostly of carbon. When they die, their bodies are decomposed (broken down into smaller pieces) by microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. These remains eventually become buried and accumulate in layers under the Earth's surface. Over a very long time (hundreds of thousands to millions of years) the remains are squeezed together and warmed by the Earth's heat. Chemical reactions take place which transform the carbon from the plant and animal remains into fossil fuels.

Many people are concerned about finding new or alternative fuel sources because one day we will probably run out of fossil fuels. However, sending our dead plants and animals to Venus to make more fuel probably won't work because: 1)Venus lacks the microorganisms that are essential for decomposition to take place, 2) Venus is extremely hot (855⁰F, or 457^oC) and our carcasses would probably burn before we could bury them, 3) It would cost A LOT of money to ship them there in the first place (and UPS does NOT deliver to Venus!), and 4) We're better off finding alternative energy sources rather than trying to make more fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels pollutes our atmosphere and adds excess carbon dioxide which contributes to global warming.

However, Venus definitely has at least one of the features needed to make fossil fuels, and that's "pressure". The surface pressure of Venus is 90 times greater than on Earth--enough to crush a human being! You'd have to go deep sea diving at 3,000 feet below the ocean's surface to experience a similar pressure on Earth. But if you're going to try it, be sure to travel in a pressurized submersible like Jacques Cousteau's "Nautilus", since no scuba diver would ever make it at this depth!

If natural resouces (natural gas, oil, and coal) are formed by extreme pressure acting on material made mainly of carbon, why don't we send large amounts of useless carbon based things to Venus where there is very extreme surface pressure?

Coal, oil (petroleum), and natural gas are often collectively referred to as "fossil fuels" because they are derived from the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. Like most living things, plants and animals are composed mostly of organic forms of carbon. When they die, microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi act to decompose their bodies into smaller particles which eventually become buried. Over a very long time, layers of buried plant and animal remains accumulate under pressure and react with the Earth's heat. Eventually, the organic carbon compounds in the remains are transformed into the "hydrocarbons" found in fossil fuels.

Fossil fuels are considered "nonrenewable resources" (also, "nonsustainable") because they cannot be replaced as fast as they are consumed. It is estimated that as much of 93% of the world's energy use is dependent on nonrenewable resources including fossil fuels. This has generated a great deal of interest in finding alternative energy sources because we realize that eventually one day we will run out!

Unfortunately, sending our dead plants and animals to Venus probably is not a feasible option . . . Not only would it cost an enormous amount of money to ship them there (and UPS does NOT deliver!), Venus lacks the microbes that would be needed for our carcasses to decompose and the surface temperature (855^oF,or 457^oC) would probably vaporize our shipment before we got a chance to bury it! Besides, we're probably much better off developing alternative energy sources that are sustainable (such as solar and wind) rather than trying to find ways to make more fossil fuel. When fossil fuels are burned, they release particulate carbon (smoke) which pollutes our atmosphere and carbon dioxide which contributes to global warming.

But you're right about the pressure on Venus. "Extreme" is a good way to describe it! Venusian pressure is 90 times greater than that on Earth and more than sufficient to crush a human being! It is estimated to be roughly equivalent to a deep sea dive 3,000 feet (900 m) below the ocean's surface--well beyond the range of even the most able-bodied scuba diver!!

Last modified prior to September, 2000 by the Windows Team

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