Environmental aspects of natural resources and their relationship to the exploitation of fossil fuels: A reflection on sustainability

Abstract

Fossil fuels are used throughout the world as the main sources of energy, they are present in nature thanks to the accumulation of biomass over millions of years. Although many countries depend largely on exports of oil and its derivatives to maintain their economy, fossil fuels have caused pollution to the environment due to their extraction from the subsoil, causing harmful effects on the human being and the environment as a result of the operations related to their exploitation. This bibliographic review article exposes a series of theoretical and conceptual considerations about the effects of the exploration, exploitation, and production of fossil fuels such as oil and gas, focusing on the negative effects that these activities cause on natural resources in Colombia. and Latin America, in addition to considering different measures to prevent and mitigate the impacts caused.

Keywords

• environmental impact
• natural resources
• hydrocarbons
• water
• soil
• air
• exploitation
• mitigation.