~~ <3 Nicole & Alicia's amazing page about oil :] yayy.

 

Is Oil Evil?

Nicole = this pink-ish color

 

Alicia = this turquoise-y blue color

1. Is your personal consumption of oil part of the problem?

Yes, my personal consumption of oil is a part of the problem because EVERY bit of oil used/consumed negatively effects the environment. Oil is like totally bad for the environment; just even using a small amount can severely harm the globe. Oil is continually hurting the ozone layer and making it thinner; which leads to global warming. This is where global “warming” comes from (if you don’t know already…) If it was just me reducing my usage of oil it will do little good, but if everyone pitched in then the results will be dramatically changed. Earth WILL be getting worse, but slower and in reduced amounts.

~Nicole~December 18th, 2007

Yeah, my personal consumption of oil is part of the problem. But it’s not like it’s only my fault. It’s EVERYONE’S fault. When everyone's use of oil all adds up, it's a huge number. One person alone can't influence oil consumption, but many people can. If everyone just turned off their computers and TVs at night (when most people aren't using them), so much energy can be saved.

~Alicia~December 18th, 2007

2. What impact does oil have on our environment?

The impact oil has on the environment is a harmful one. Oil is breaking down the ozone layer, so the simple solution is to stop using oil altogether. But the problem is that in our current stage of technology we almost completely depend on oil to get around everyday. Also, as Alicia said, oil spills are a major issue that can kill thousands of innocent animals... one spill can kill so many animals that it's not even funny (not that it ever was O_O). Oil should be transported in a safer way than risking thousands of lives that can be killed in one mistake. Technology should be improved so that there's a more efficent way of transporting oil OR find some other substitute of oil.

~Nicole~December 18th, 2007

When oil is being transported across the ocean by boat, sometimes there's an oil spill. The oil that's dumped into the ocean from the spill damages the water, the land by the water, and the animals that depend on that environment to survive. A lot of the time, the animals get drenched in so much oil that when they try to clean themselves off, they swallow the oil, and practically kill themselves :[. The effects of an oil spill are tremendous. In early November this year, the ship Cosco Busan crashed into the Bay Bridge in San Fransisco and "spilled 58,000 gallons of thick oil, killing scores of sea birds, fouling 40 miles of shoreline and temporarily crippling the fishing industry"(Gonzales and Geissinger para. 6). There are tons of oil spills all over the world every year, and if all of them have such serious consequences, it's all going to add up and make our environment worse than it already is.

Nicole's also right about oil ruining the ozone layer. I don't really remember when I learned this, but the ozone layer is pretty much what's keeping us alive right now (greenhouse effect). If we keep burning oil, it's going to destroy the ozone layer and we'll die. That wouldn't be very good.

~Alicia~December 18th, 2007

 

pictures: oiled animals (from oil spills)

awww look at them-- you don't really want them to die, do you??? shame on you if you do. -_-

3. Are there any viable energy alternatives?

There are other viable energy alternatives, but the other energy alternatives have consequences as well. For example, ethanol can be harmful to the enviroment if used consistantly. Like Alicia stated, if ethanol became popular in everyday uses for energy then people will take advantage of the alternative energy and we might overuse the corn to make ethanol. If that happens, there is a chance that we might run out of corn or even pollute the enviroment with ethanol gases.

There's always ethanol, I guess. But I wouldn't say it's a really reliable source. The reason we're running out of oil right now is because we depend too heavily on it. I think what's going to happen is that once we run out of oil, we're going to convert directly to ethanol. When we start using ethanol, we'll become so dependent on it (like we are now with oil) that we'll eventually use it all up and we'll have to find another source of energy. It's all an ongoing cycle. What's sad is that most of us realize this, we just don't really take advantage of the time we still have to prevent it from happening. According to BBC News, demand for corn (which is what is used to make ethanol) has increased and the price has doubled the past two years.

"Corn has become all things to all people," says Simon Johnson. "It used to be fuel for people. Now it's fuel for cars."

The guy is right. We should listen to him.

~Alicia~December 18th, 2007

Link :D

4. Is there a connection between oil and violence in the Middle East?

Yes, as everyone knows the middle east provides a large sum of the world's oil. It is also known that everyone relies on oil today to do their everyday activites. Therefore, the middle east can use this power as an advantage. The US, as an example, are in a war with the middle east right now. Since we are in a war, the middle east doesn't provide as much oil to the US as efficently.  This war is causing more oil usage so the US is technically at a disadvantage.

~Nicole~December 18th, 2007

Well, the most of the countries that have a lot of oil are in or near the Middle East. "Countries that produce great amounts of petroleum include Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Algeria, Libya, Nigeria..."(Lerner para. 2). I personally think that oil is one of the main reasons that we're fighting the War in the Middle East right now. Ever since oil fields were discovered in the Middle East in 1908, the rest of the world has depended on the region for the oil to power almost everything in our lives. I really don't want to believe that some people are willing to hurt others just to have oil for the little things in their lives (especially when there are some people out there that could be worse off), but it's kind of what's happening right now. What's not helping is that OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is cutting back on the amount of oil being extracted, and that might be fueling the conflict. But the Energy Intelligence Group says "Oil supply is not limited by reserves, speakers agreed. Rather, its expansion is complicated by a mix of political, cost and investment issues" (para. 2), which is also another factor in the whole oil conflict.

~Alicia~December 18th, 2007

Sources:

"Coast Guard commander retires amid oil spill furor: CLEANUP FIRM WON'T ANSWER QUESTIONS." San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, CA) (Nov 30, 2007): NA

"Oil output debate reaches a watershed." Petroleum Intelligence Weekly 46.45 (Nov 5, 2007): 1(1).

"Petroleum." World of Earth Science. Eds. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 433-436. 2 vols.

Leave Feedback. gracias :]

Ramina Abbasi--- I agree with alicia and Nicole on this subject of consumption of oil.

The use of oil is damaging to our enviornment. This may cause "warming" as nicole said and that is where our world will

slowly come to an end.  I also belive that if everyone put an effort to help save the earth and reduce the use then

it will be a great benifit!

although your video is very intresting and benificial to a human perspective, but I feel as this is a bit bias and would

not be a very good source to use in a blog such as this. the information listed about the site is just a randome guy saying his perspective on

Canda's oil consumption and wars leading to 911. Sorry nicole and alicia!!!! good job though:]

Mariya T.- I agree with your points and the pictures are so cute. When you are talking about that oil is bad for the environment, I totaly agree. 

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