{
  "id": 19647662,
  "title": "What are fossil fuels?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/what-are-fossil-fuels-19647662",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-12T12:04:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "DW English (Top Stories)",
    "slug": "dw-english-top-stories",
    "url": "https://www.dw.com/en/what-are-fossil-fuels/a-67970540?maca=en-rss-en-top-1022-xml-mrss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Fossil fuels are ancient organic compounds that have fueled modern life but now pose a threat to the planet's habitability. This group includes coal, oil, and natural gas, all containing carbon and hydrogen. These substances originated hundreds of millions of years ago as living plants and animals that settled to the ocean and swamp bottoms, decomposing under sediment layers. Over time, pressure and heat transformed this matter, converting plants and trees into coal, and microscopic plankton and algae into oil and gas.\n\nFound worldwide, fossil fuels are extracted through mining, drilling, or both, depending on their form. They have powered the Industrial Revolution since the early 19th century, with their usage increasing eight times since 1950. Currently, 80% of our energy needs are met by these fuels, which can be converted into energy through direct burning or in power plants.\n\nWhen it comes to transportation, fossil fuels are refined into various products that power vehicles and ships. However, the transportation sector also refines crude oil into diesel, gasoline, and kerosene. Natural gas is compressed for use in cars and buses.\n\nDespite their indispensable role in manufacturing steel and plastic, fossil fuels are the primary contributors to climate change. Their combustion releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, trapping heat and causing global temperatures to rise. As 2025 is one of the hottest years on record, the effects of these emissions are being felt worldwide, causing polar ice caps to melt and extreme weather events to become more intense and frequent.\n\nTo limit global warming to a safe level of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) as outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement, the transition away from fossil fuels must accelerate. Despite progress in COP28, where countries agreed to move away from coal, oil, and gas, emissions continue to rise. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for urgent action to make the transition from fossil fuels a reality.",
  "summary": "They are in our shampoo bottles, power our cars and heat our homes. But what actually are fossil fuels and why do they matter?",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}