Is Oil Evil?

 

  1. Is Oil Evil?
    1. PT.1 Is your personal consumption of oil part of the problem?
    2. PT.2 What impact does oil have on our enviornment?
    3. PT.3 Are there any viable energy alternatives?
    4. PT. 4 Is there a connection between oil and violence in the Middle East?
    5. Sources:
    6. Contributors:

 

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

 Yes, my personal consumption of oil is part of the problem. My whole life is built on oil. The cars we drive, the food we eat, the goods we buy; all has been touched by oil in some way. Theres isn't much I can do about it either, since all of modern society is built on oil. I just have to hang on and go along for the ride. Especially since there is not many alternatives. Because society is built on oil, you can not escape it. That is, unless, you want to become a hermit and live in cave. I just have to keep shelling out to the oil companies until somone comes up with a new way to power the world. As i much as i would rather not be, I am part of teh problem and there really isn't a whole lot I can do about it. JV

 

Oil is important in transportation of goods in today's world. Probably all of my stuff was transported on vehicles that use oil. One example of this is my pair of Nike shoes. Since Nike's production plant is based in China it takes a lot of energy to transport them all the way to the Untied States. When they get here, they have to be transported to stores throughout the country. This process takes a lot of energy that uses oil. My everyday life needs a lot of oil consuption. Driving to school everyday and then driving back in total uses probably a whole gallon of oil. This is only to transport my self to school. Think of all of the other things that I need to get done through out the day. Going to the store to buy food or get something for a project. Overall, I don't think that i personally could destroy the Earth with my oil consuption, but there are millions more like me, and all of us added together can make a huge impact. Greg G.

 

PT.2 What impact does oil have on our enviornment?

 Of course oil has a tremendous impact on our enviornment.  Just turn on the news and you will see what I mean. Whether yo believe in global warming of not, you can't deny that we humans are effecting the enviornment somehow. Ever been in LA on hot day? You can't your own hand in front of your face through all the smog. Same goes for Mexico City, or Shanghi, or almost any other metropolitan area.  All of that smog is ehnaced by car emsision adn the oil that burned to run those cars. And that's just when teh oil gets here. It has to be shipped all the way from the Persian Gulf on oil tankers, which burn oil to get here. That presents the rprobl;em of when the tankers ground, or sink. The spill oil everywhere and pollute the beachs adn coast of the world and kil off the animals that live there. It is a dangerous thing, oil. Jon V.  

 

Ever since oil was dirt cheap, it has been causing problems to our enviorment. People are just now realizing why oil is so bad to the enviornment, because its expensive. We should have realized this a long time ago, because the consequences are very critical. Just recently, a scientest said that the polar ice caps will melt by the year 2012. This is a scary thought, considering the fact that 2012 is a short four years from now. The growing population of course is adding more CO2 to the air, but the smog produced by greenhouse gas emissions such as oil, are just adding to the problem. This is causing a well known problem today known as "Global Warming." People like Al Gore are starting to inform us of our hazardous emissions. Power plants, cars, you name are all run off of oil, and we need to recognize that fact and fix it.

 Greg G.

PT.3 Are there any viable energy alternatives?

 There are many aernatives to oil. Ethanol, methane, hydrogen, sunlight; the list goes on and on. And while all of these look good on paper, in reality, theyare just not practical. Not many people plug in thier cars at night, andven fewer are driving in solar pannel on wheel. And when the last time you pulled up to an ethanol or hydrogen pump. To amke any of these options viable, you would have to weed the entire country off oil, which would be no mean feat. Chage like that can only come from the federal government, and since they are so indebted to the big oil companies, that is just not possible. Money always triumphs over the enviornment. Then, even if we could buy alternate fuels, would we? Americans love their cars, and telling everyone they nedd to buy a new one to save the trees won't fly. So until that time, we just have to grin and bear the burden of oil.   Jon V.

 

Anyone who doesn't know that there are alternative energy resources has been sleeping living under a rock for the past three years. We all know about the Hydrogen fuel cells and things off that nature, but what we don't know is who actually uses this stuff, and is it even out on the market yet? I am happy that some car companies are switching to E85 ethanol, but where are you going to see a refilling station for E85 ethanol anytime soon? The fact of the matter is that we know that alternative energy is out there, but the big oil companies aren't really in the mood to give up their oil just yet. They are happy to be selling their $100 per barrel of oil because they are making enourmous amounts of money. Until these big companies get off of the fact that there is more to life than making billions of dollars, and not protecting the earth, then we are going to be stuck on oil for a long time.    Greg G.

 

 

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

Without oil, there would be much less terrorism. Lets face it, the terrorists out in Saudi Arabia aren't making their budgets off of selling some micro-processeor tecnology. They are making almost all of their money off of the production and selling of oil. The world needs oil, and the middle east terrorists are happy to provide, so as long as they can get their money to buy weapons and continue to fight the war agains the "infedels." But who do you think is making all of this money for the terrorists? Non-other than the United States. We are fueling the war in the Middle East by consuming all of this oil. The U.S. is by far the largest oil energy consumer in the world. The most ironic thing is that while we are in mid east trying to oust the terrorist, we are not only providing them help by by buying their oil, but we are also hurting ourselves. The price of oil flows well with the violence in the mid east. The higher the oil prices, the more violence there is in the mid east. It seems to be a vicious cycle that doesn't seem to help us at all. Until we can get off of our dependence of Middle East oil, or off of the dependence of oil its self, we are going to be fighting a war with ourselves. Greg G

 

Of course there is a connection between oil and Middle East violence. Just look at history, it is full of examples. When the our government overthrew the Irananian government in the 1950's it was to remove a democracy that threatened to nationalize their oil. When Saddam Hussien invaded Kuwait in 1991, it was to sieze the Kuwaiti oil fields. Many people believe the War in Iraq was a big oil grab. Iraq after all, was created by the British government as a puppet kingdom which would let the British monopoolize the Mousul/Kirkuk oilfields. We practicly underwrite the Suadi monarchy with are oil dollars.  All that money flowing into the Middle East doesn't all end up in national treasuries. Some of it finds its way into the hands of the terrorists, or people that support them. So in a way we are supporting the terrorists we are trying to fight. As Vladimr Lenin once said

"The capitalists will seel us the rope by which which we hang them with"

Only linstead of Commuists, its is terrorists who are doing the hanging and it is with oil dollars, and not rope. Jon V.

 

 

Sources:

  1.  

 http://youtube.com/watch?v=wnjx6KETmi4

 

 

 

Contributors:

 

 Jon V.

Greg G.

 


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  • Recent comments:
    Nick L.:You have presented some very important ideas as to how we as individuals have contributed to the problems with oil. It is definetely true that we depend on oil a great deal, and that we can do little more than "hang on for the ride". Also, your question 3 reply was well written. Although the alternative energy sources that have been developed have benefits, they are not the most reliable sources of energy. And ofcourse, people don't want to change the "convenient" source of energy known as fossil fuels. Your blog has thorough explanations and examples, and is overall a great blog. However, as mentioned in prior comments, there are a few grammar mistakes in the blog. Great Job!
    ben:I agree with pretty much everything that John and Greg have said. Except that in the first response how Greg says that him alone would not affect the world in such a way. However I think that isnt true, because if everyone thinks that everyone just might end up dead because of the pollution. The both of them do make a good point in the connection to the middle east however. They are right about the terrorists and one of the main reasons why they are doing such actions is because of oil. They really got to the point and answered all the questions well. I agree with the majority of the rest of the responses. Good job
    Prasanna:I will agree with you people, as John said, “My whole life is built on oil”, that is true; the whole world is addicted to oil. In addition, I really like the Ethanol response, the whole answer was shrunk to a single line that says, “There are alternative source, but the problem is that the oil companies will not let them out”. I agree it is true, because the Oil companies are like the Super Power. However, after a long time of negotiation, BMW has come out and they manufactured 100 Hydrogen powered cars. On whole, your Blog is excellent. Great Job!
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