fossil fuel

A hydrocarbon-based fuel, such as petroleum, coal, or natural gas, derived from living matter of a previous geologic time.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

fossil fuel

(Biochemistry) any naturally occurring carbon or hydrocarbon fuel, such as coal, petroleum, peat, and natural gas, formed by the decomposition of prehistoric organisms

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

fos′sil fu`el

any combustible organic material, as oil, coal, or natural gas, derived from the remains of former life.

[1835–45]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

fossil fuel - fuel consisting of the remains of organisms preserved in rocks in the earth's crust with high carbon and hydrogen content

coal - fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period

fuel - a substance that can be consumed to produce energy; "more fuel is needed during the winter months"; "they developed alternative fuels for aircraft"

natural gas, gas - a fossil fuel in the gaseous state; used for cooking and heating homes

crude, crude oil, fossil oil, petroleum, rock oil, oil - a dark oil consisting mainly of hydrocarbons

Translations

combustible fósil

fossil fuel

n → fossiler Brennstoff m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

fossil fuel

n → combustibile m fossile

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

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References in periodicals archive

According to the report, "Regional, weighted average costs of electricity from biomass for power, geothermal, hydropower, and onshore wind are all now in the range, or even span a lower range, than estimated fossil fuel-fired electricity generation costs." Electricity from photovoltaic panels is also becoming less expensive, with the cheapest installations about on par with many fossil fuel power plants.

Renewables compete with fossils

The trend is striking: Increased fossil fuel use correlates with every positive metric of human well-being -- from life expectancy to income to nourishment to clean water access to safety.

The moral case for fossil fuels

(For human beings, "resources" includes a broad spectrum of things, including natural beauty.) To assess the fossil fuel industry's impact on our environment, we simply need to ask: What is its impact on threats?

The moral case for fossil fuels

I believe the Anglican church should join the fossil fuel divestment movement.

Climate change, money and the church

This amounts to a net subsidy to big industry for fossil fuel use.

Question: "Should we let the market determine our energy mix?"

Their conclusion is that if we are to have a 50 per cent chance of stopping the warming before 2C, then at least two-thirds of the currently listed fossil fuel reserves will have to stay in the ground permanently.

The third option..

We're in a climate emergency - divest from fossil fuel companies.

Call for fossil fuel divestment in Wales; LETTERS

Financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, HSBC and the Bank of England have warned about the financial risk of fossil fuel investments and we already see fossil fuel companies struggling, with major coal companies declaring bankruptcy and big oil companies hitting record low profits.

Divest from fossil fuel companies

Cardiff council has called on the fund to divest the money it has tied up with oil and gas companies linked to fossil fuel extraction.

Pension fund to pull out of fossil fuel firms

Investing in fossil fuels is providing "increasingly poor" returns on investment according to a new study.

Researchers say fossil fuel returns now diminishing; ENERGY

More than 1,070 institutions in more than 30 countries, with total assets of about $8.8 trillion, have divested themselves of fossil fuel shares since a divestment campaign began about nine years ago, according to the website gofossilfree.org.

Harvard says fighting climate change a top priority but holds on to fossil fuel stocks

These fossil fuel companies are embracing a variety of tactics.

Big Oil's Double Face