Is Oil Evil?

By Duke M. and Shanna M.

 

  1. Is Oil Evil?
  2. By Duke M. and Shanna M.
    1. Contributors: Shanna M.andDuke M.

 

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

My personal consumption is not a part of the problem, since I can’t drive. But, the fact that we use oil everyday of our lives in a manner that we can’t go one day without using it is sad. If we didn’t depend so much on oil then assignments like this wouldn’t even have to be created. Just the mere fact that it is top on the list of things to talk about is disappointing in the human race. We survive not to depend on each other so much that problems like this occur, but so that we can depend on ourselves to solve our own problems.

 

On the other hand, just because I can't drive doesn't mean I don't use oil at all. I still get driven around, and just about everything has some connection to oil, whether is operates using oil, or it was made by machines that use oil to work. Everyone's personal oil consumption is a tiny part of the problem, but just one person doesn't make any difference. To change the situation of the world would require everyone to change their ways. It's a responsibility that everyone should be taking seriously. (Duke M. 12-11-07)

 

 

2.  What impact does oil have on our environment?

 The impact that oil has on our enviorment is scary when you look at things such as global warming and oil spills. For example, look at this link to a New York Times article. http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T004&prodId=OVRC&docId=A136962998&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=lom_inac&version=1.0This natural bird habitat is being interupted by greedy government officials looking for oil profits. Before the property was known to have as much oil as they estimate today, there were laws against drilling for oil. Of course, now that it would be extremely profitable, no one has any problem bending the rules now, right? Well, imagine someone found a huge oil reserve in your town, and the government told you and everyone else in your area that you had to move. Even if it was possible to stay, or stay nearby, would you really want to? There would be no more scenery, and you would always have the loud sounds from the drills, and always be just a bit afraid something will go wrong. And the air would be just gross! Would you really want to stay there, even if you had a choice?

 

Of course, enviornmental issues are one of the major things that we as people worry about, but we more rarely look at the many other negative things oil does to our lives. It is the source of stress in our entire modern civilization. At this point, the troubles of oil come not only with the global warming but with the war, prices, and political concentration on oil instead of education or the Iraq war (which we're probably fighting for oil). Oil makes people greedy for more, and willing to gouge people out of their money. This isn't good for the natural enviornment, or anyone's personal enviornment. (Shanna M. 12-12-07)

 

 

 

3.  Are there any viable energy alternatives?

 Some energy alternatives are electrical energy or solar power. In concern to a car being fuel efficiant to the point where there is no fuel used, here is a link to the controversial Chevy Volt http://www.chevrolet.com/electriccar/ . The way that we look at this car is as a wave of the future. Electric cars are becoming the future as more and more people start realizing that they are too dependent on oil and that it has hurt and is still hurting many people and economies around the world. We hope that more people will wake up, and the the wave of the future will come in full flood. However, other energy sources are not as popular as oil. One of the problems with new energy sources is that many of them are just concepts. Scientists still don't know exactly how to best charge an electric car, or how to best harness solar energy. Plus, many of the possible solutions just aren't as cheap as oil. Oil is the fastest and easiest way to get oil. Solar and wind energy are a few other energy sources, but it takes a high concentration of the sun's energy to use it for energy. True, it takes a lot of effort to harness the sun or wind's energy, but it's really not that much harder than drilling crude oil from the ground, refining it, and shipping it all over the world. People don't think about that, they just think about driving down to their local gas station, filling up, and then driving their huge SUV away. The fact is, the amount of energy produced by all the solar photovoltaic cells (the cells that collect solar energy) in the world adds up to less than the output of two conventional coal-fired power plants. Other energy sources just can't compete with fossil fuels such as oil, but maybe then will once the enviornment is destroyed and the world's economy is in ruins. (Shanna M. 12-12-07)

 

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

 I believe that there is a connection, because the Middle East has been the supporters and contributors for oil for many years. The U.S. government decided to fight Iraq, most likely for oil but supposedly for terrorism, even though the problem of terrorism could be solved more effectively in other ways than just busting into their country and bossing them around. We will probably seize all of Iraq's oil if we win, and in that fasion the economy will get better. Its a low blow, but the government and the presidency is made up of low blows at the same time. It's not that much of a surprise.

 

The Middle East is no stranger to oil exploitation. They were taken advantage of by Britain and the United States in earlier history. This caused tension in the region, not to mention that the people in the Middle East weren't getting as rich as they should be! When the Middle East finally stopped the subsidization, still only a small percentage of the population was getting the profits from the oil, which was of course causing economic issues. (Duke M. 12-11-07)

 

Sources:
  1. http://www.chevrolet.com/electriccar/
  2. http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T004&prodId=OVRC&docId=A136962998&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=lom_inac&version=1.0
  3. http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010433208&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=lom_inac&version=1.0

 

 

 

Contributors: Shanna M.andDuke M.

 

 

 


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    Sam D:If we protest against the high taxes, the Michigan government will have to recognize that the people of Michigan does not like the taxes, thus it would be more beneficial for their political campaign to lower the taxes. This just shows that the people have the power to effect the government. After all isn't the U.S. government democratic, doesn't the people have the power to change the government?
    Akshay Raj Verma:Well problem is Faisal to answer your question, even if this whole class went out and protested and said for example to the Michigan Government "Lower the taxes, and fix the budget defect, and cooperate" we could not do a thing. 'Cause despite that the real power lies in Washington, or Lansing, where things could actually happen. Problem is both places lie deep in corruption. Also, Duke, you only mentioned driving as a personal consumption. If you remember what Mr.Uhelski said, plastic bags are made of oil, and in some rural areas in the US, electricity comes through oil. etc etc.
    Faisal Chaudhry:I must agree with Sam. If you are disappointed in the human race, YOU should do something to change the dependence on oil. If you are about to insult all of the human race, show us a way to improve-but remember, you must follow whatever solution to propose-don't become a hypocrite.
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