ABSTRACT
Carbon is the basic element that constitutes life. The abundance of carbon compounds is possible because of its ability to form strong covalent bonds with many elements, particularly oxygen, hydrogen, and metals. This chapter focuses on the intensification of carbon utilization and the consequences arising from natural availability limits. Humans have always had a carbon footprint, but the amount of human carbon utilization has increased significantly over time, especially since the industrial revolution. Realizing that natural fossil fuel availability is not a "bottomless pit" becomes particularly important when taking into account anticipated future fossil fuel consumption: the global demand for all types of fossil fuel is predicted to rise constantly, which can mainly be ascribed to a sharp rise in demand from newly industrializing countries. Resource scarcity is determined by several factors such as endowment of natural stocks, availability of resources, new discoveries, and technological and economic developments.
