Fossil Fuels & Environmental Impact
📋 What it is
Coal, oil and gas store ancient energy densely but release CO₂ and pollution and will run out.
🗣️ Coach says
Fossil fuels — coal, oil, natural gas — are ancient buried energy, very dense and easy to store, which is why they powered the modern world. But burning them releases CO₂ (driving climate change) and pollution, and they’re FINITE — they took millions of years to form and will eventually run out.
🧠 Memory hook
Fossil fuels = dense, storable ancient energy BUT release CO₂/pollution + are finite (will run out).
😂 Giggle
Why are wind turbines so popular at parties?
Because they're great at breaking the ice — and generating conversation!
😲 Whoa!
The coal and oil we burn formed from plants and creatures that lived hundreds of millions of years ago — we’re burning ancient sunlight, but there’s a limited supply.
✅ Quick check: Name one big downside of fossil fuels despite their convenience.
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
Burning them releases CO₂ and pollution (and they’re finite — they’ll eventually run out).
Fossil fuels cause emissions and are limited.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Think of a car’s exhaust — that’s ancient stored carbon being released into today’s air.