The Alchemy of Decay: Can Humans Become Fossil Fuels?

Ever thought about becoming fuel for someone’s car millions of years from now? Sounds dark — and weirdly fascinating, right? I wondered the same thing. So, let’s find out if it’s actually possible. Hypothetically, it mostly seems like we can, right? Crude oil is formed over millions of years from the remains of tiny marine organisms such as plankton and algae. When these organisms died, they sank to the bottom of ancient oceans and were buried by layers of sediment, which protected them from decay. As more sediment accumulated, the increasing pressure and heat transformed the organic material into a waxy substance called kerogen. With continued burial and higher temperatures — typically between 60 and 120°C — the kerogen broke down through chemical reactions into liquid hydrocarbons, the main components of crude oil. This oil then migrated through porous rocks until it became trapped beneath non-porous layers, forming underground reservoirs. These are the sources from which we extract crude oil today.

Now, this is more of a textbook explanation of the formation of crude oil, let’s simplify this a bit. Crude oil is a fossil fuel, which is a non-renewable source of energy (This means there is a finite amount of it in the world and there is a risk of it running out.). The formation of crude oil is a process that takes millions of years to occur, therefore it isn’t renewable as stated above. The formation of crude oil starts with the death of minute marine organisms including plankton and algae. Once these organisms die, they sink to the bottom of the ocean, they are buried under layers of sediment, which prevents decay from destroying their carcasses beyond use. Over the years, the amount of sediments layering on top of them increases, which creates higher temperatures and pressure. Due to this, the organic material is transformed into a waxy substance called kerogen. As the pressure and temperatures continuously increase, typically between 60 and 120 degrees Celsius, the kerogen breaks down and becomes liquid hydrocarbons through chemical reactions. This liquid hydrocarbon can be called "crude oil" because crude oil is primarily composed of hydrocarbons.

Before we actually answer the question of the topic, let's look at both sides of the argument. Now that we have covered what exactly crude oil is, let's look into the possibility of humans becoming fossil fuels. We have understood that the creation of fossil fuels is a multi-million year process which you and I would probably not be alive to see the process of. The time factor is very important here because ancient organisms have had a lot of time to get buried under tonnes of soil and become liquid hydrocarbons. It can also be debated that, while we humans are also a form of biological material, we aren't currently present in the quantities or the right conditions to be able to become fossil fuels. Another factor that plays into the argument that humans cannot become fossil fuels is the modern decomposition system. When humans die in this era, the bodies are typically cremated or preserved in controlled environments like embalming or burial which do not allow for anaerobic, high pressure burial required for the formation of fossil fuels. Due to our traditional and cultural beliefs of a proper burial, and the modern day use of coffins, this prevents the formation of fossil fuels, with humans as an impetus. 

Now to look at the other side of the argument supporting the idea of whether humans can become fossil fuels. Although humans becoming fossil fuels is highly unlikely in practice, theoretically speaking, there is a possibility. While the conditions aren't set for this process, humans are still living organisms that are composed of similar, if not the same organic compounds as ancient organisms that are now fossil fuels. Humans are carbon-based, and therefore can theoretically become fossil fuels when given the right conditions and millions of years. Another reason why humans converting into fossil fuels could be a feasible idea, although only in theory, is because when humans are buried in oxygen-free or anaerobic environments, the decomposition process that they undergo essentially slows down, which could provide impetus for the process. In fossil fuel formation, organisms are buried in sediment where there's little oxygen, which prevents bacteria from breaking them down. If a human body were buried deeply and quickly in the right conditions, for example in a swampy or seabed sediment, decomposition might halt long enough to begin the fossilization process. Another point is that extremely high temperatures and pressure that converted plankton and ancient organisms into hydrocarbons could also convert any living organisms into liquid hydrocarbons. Although for this to be possible, the environmental conditions must be correct. Another point that supports this theory is the presence of mass human burial sites, also known as, graveyards or cemeteries. The theory is that, due to the high concentration of human remains in one area, this volume might be sufficient for fossil fuel formation, though it would still take millions of years and require the compatible environmental conditions. While the formation of fossil fuels doesn't necessarily have to occur naturally, the purity of the hydrocarbons depends on it. Scientists are developing methods to speed up fossil fuel formation artificially. Techniques like thermal depolymerization or hydrothermal liquefaction can convert organic waste into crude oil in hours or days. These processes could, in a speculative sense, turn human remains into fuels under controlled conditions. 

While humans becoming fossil fuels is an extremely fascinating theory, there are a lot of ethical and philosophical concerns of this whole process as it goes against some beliefs and policies. One of the many concerns include the idea that turning human remains into fuel would be a violation of dignity. This is due to the fact that many cultures and religions have extremely strong beliefs of how the dead should be treated with a plethora of burial, cremation and sacred rituals. Even the notion of human bodies becoming a source of fuel would be disrespectful, degrading and dehumanizing. Another problem is the commodification of human remains. This plays into the idea of viewing human remains as a resource or commodity and it poses the serious question of “Would it be ethical to harvest fuels from corpses? And who decides?” Other concerns include consent and autonomy, potential exploitation, loss of cultural and religious identity, and even the value of a human life. It poses many eye opening questions such as “Are humans going to be more useful dead than alive?” or “Is it justified because they’re already dead?” These are a few of many concerns that follow with the conversion of humans into fossil fuels. 

While this idea might sound a bit ridiculous to you, there have been numerous books in the Science Fiction genre that have explored this idea. Books like Soylent Green by Harry Harrison have explored humans being used as consumable products. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro is a book which centers on themes such as bioethics and personhood with a plot where cloned humans are raised to donate organs. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is a book about how human purpose is manufactured and controlled for the benefit of social efficiency, again linking back to the idea of people being used as a form of “fuel” for stable society. While these are all some takes of this argument in a fictitious, light and almost satirical format, it can be said that in exaggerated fiction or dark comedy, the idea of using humans as fossil fuel is a way to criticize overconsumption, capitalism, or disregard for ethics in the name of progress.

(An image of Aldous Huxley - Author of a “Brave New World”)

Ergo this is all true in theory and that from a scientific standpoint, yes, humans are made of organic material that could, under very specific conditions become fossil fuels. And that if human remains were buried in an oxygen-free environment, under intense heat and pressure, for millions of years, hydrocarbons might form, although this is far from practical or intentional. In reality, humans simply don’t exist in the quantity or are in the time-frame of which the conditions required to become fossil fuels are available. Fossil fuels come from mass deaths of ancient plants and marine organisms, on a scale and timeline far beyond what human remains could match. Human decomposition also occurs too quickly which prevents their conversion. 

In conclusion, although humans could theoretically become fossil fuels due to the fact that we are creatures that are rich in carbons, we simply do not have enough quantity and the right conditions to do so. We are unable to cross the ethical and philosophical boundaries in order to put this scientific theory to test. While scientists are also trying to replicate the same process with artificial conditions and equipment that could potentially determine the answer in a short period of time, it’s quite safe to say that we won’t be answering the question “Can humans become fossil fuels?” any time soon. And while we may never power the world with fuel that once came from something like you or I, perhaps, in the light of that, we could think about how we could change the way we think about energy and the environment.