what is a hydrocarbon 
the term hydrocarbon refers to an organic chemical compound that is composed exclusively of hydrogen and carbon atoms hydrocarbons are naturally occurring and form the basis of crude oil natural gas coal and other important energy sources they are highly combustible and produce carbon dioxide water and heat when they are burned as such hydrocarbons are highly effective as a source of fuel understanding hydrocarbonshydrocarbons occur naturally they originate from plant and animal fossils that were formed by the forces of temperature and weight over millennia they are mostly found deep underground in porous rock formations such as sandstone limestone and shale porous rock formations are often found in large bodies of water so there is an immense quantity of hydrocarbons trapped deep beneath the oceans oil and natural gas exploration companies use advanced engineering techniques to identify these potential reservoirs and pull their resources to the surface for human use examples of such technologies include offshore oil platforms directional drilling and enhanced oil recovery eor techniques hydrocarbons are very important for the modern economy they are responsible for more than 80 of global energy consumption 1 this figure may actually understate the role of hydrocarbons in the economy by a significant margin because they are used in a wide range of applications aside from their use as a source of energy for example refined petroleum has been used to produce many derivative materials that play critical roles in the global economy such as plastics solvents and lubricants different techniques are used to extract hydrocarbons depending on the type and location of the reserve for example hydraulic fracturing better known as fracking is used to extract natural gas from shale rock by using pressurized fracking fluid to create fissures through which the gas can escape to the surface mining is used to access oil sands which are unconventional deposits of crude oil that are heavily intermixed with sand and sandstone hydrocarbon companiesbecause hydrocarbons are the largest energy source in the globe some of the largest companies in the world are hydrocarbon companies these primarily include oil and gas companies that mine hydrocarbons and convert them into the energy sources that the world uses to power almost everything out of the top 10 companies in the world six of them are state owned saudi aramco is the world s largest oil and gas company while exxon mobil xom which is based in the united states is the world s largest public company other names in this space include the success of these companies and their ability to provide energy sources efficiently and cheaply greatly impact the world s financial markets and economies the fluctuations in the price of oil have a great impact on the cost of gasoline for cars jet fuel for airlines and gas for heating homes these costs affect how consumers spend their money decisions that reverberate throughout the global economy impact of hydrocarbonsthere is a serious environmental cost to using hydrocarbons as a primary source of energy fossil fuel sources like crude oil natural gas and coal contain hydrogen and carbon when they re burned they release greenhouse gasses into the air mainly carbon dioxide releasing them into the air contributes to climate change but it isn t just consumption that contributes to the deterioration of the environment the process of oil and gas extraction also does considerable damage to the surface environment and surrounding groundwater of the extraction site by releasing pollutants there is also a major threat of unexpected spills which also has a negative impact on marine and aquatic life not only does the use of hydrocarbons have an environmental impact but it also has economic implications proponents say that this sector is a major economic driver because of how vital it is in terms of the number of jobs it creates and let s not forget how useful hydrocarbons are to society after all consumers need energy sources to fuel their cars heat their homes and light up their rooms but there s a clear downside many economists argue that hydrocarbon energy production involves substantial negative externalities that are not sufficiently represented in the market price of oil and gas in fact considering the mounting cost of climate change related phenomena many argue that these externalities significantly outweigh any cost savings associated with hydrocarbons alternatives to hydrocarbonsto address the negative impact of hydrocarbon energy there is a growing movement toward the use of renewable energy sources such as solar wind and geothermal power along with innovations in battery technology and smart grid infrastructure these new energy alternatives may play a significantly larger role in global energy production in the years and decades ahead solar power comes from the sun the process transforms solar energy into thermal or electrical energy that is used in powering homes heating water for commercial and industrial use and providing electricity solar energy is considered to be the most abundant and cleanest energy source in the world solar power has gained prominence in the use of homes and office buildings it functions via solar panels that are placed on these structures that convert solar energy into electricity and other uses solar panel companies are more common and a new part of the energy industry the top five solar power producing countries are china the united states japan germany and india 2wind energy utilizes the wind to create power or electricity wind turbines are created to convert the energy in wind to mechanical power which is then used for a variety of industrial tasks as well as in creating electricity through the use of a generator wind turbines can be found on both land and water geothermal energy taps into the heat that exists under the surface of the earth the sources of heat are trapped inside rocks and liquids under the surface as well as far down towards the earth s core geothermal energy is created by digging wells into the earth s surface to access the steam and hot water which are used to power generators that create electricity 