Is Oil Evil?

 

Is Oil Evil? Question #1: Is my personal consumption of oil part of the problem? Response: Question #2: What impact does oil have on our environment? Response: Sources: Question #3: Are there any viable energy alternatives? Response: Pictures: Works Cited:   Question #4: Is there a connection between oil and violence in the Middle East? Response: Number of visitors:

 

 

Question #1: Is my personal consumption of oil part of the problem?

 

Response:

My use of fossil fuels isn't much of a problem. I go to and from school each day, consume (not eat) plastics, use electricity when I need to go on the laptop to post on this blog... but that doesn't affect the environment all by itself.

 

Some people use tons of gas every year driving to work and vacationing in whatever huge van they own. They toss millions of plastic bags, run the car half an hour to warm it up, leave the lights on during said vacations--and they don't affect their world much, either.

 

The problem occurs when six billion people do this or similar things, and because they know that, by themselves, they're not adversely affecting the environment.

 

Knowledge of how to save or get rid of oil needs to spread across the globe, and quickly, before it's too late. If only a few people change their ways, nothing will happen. If we all see the difference and are more careful, our world will improve. However, if this gets worse, the world-as-we-know-it may end.

 

Elizabeth K., 7 Dec. 2007

 

 

 

Question #2: What impact does oil have on our environment?

 

Response:

Um...a bad effect? According to this website, "nearly 14,000 oil spills are reported each year in our nation, accounting for about 100 million gallons of oil." That's a lot of oil going into our water, choking fish, and freezing birds and animals (their fur/feathers get stuck together, air can't get in between, and they can't dry off).

 

Even just a "little" oil spill can have devastating effects. According to another site, "in 1976, a spill estimated to have been less than 10 tonnes killed more than 60,000 long-tailed ducks wintering in the Baltic Sea and attracted to the seemingly calm water surface created by the oil slick." Poor little duckies.

 

Also, oil can have a bad effect on us. So many Americans are rushing around in their pointless lives trying to go everywhere and see everything and save the world without any effort and get rich-and-thin quick. Cars, in general, assist in the eternal races of people's lives as they try to go faster to save time, yet use the saved time to go even faster. And with all of these oil-chugging cars and airplanes and boats and trains, we are slowing smothering nature. Slowly, but quicker every day.

 

Sources:

Oil and the Environment

GPA (not grade point average)

 

 

Elizabeth K., 11 Dec. 2007

 

 

 

Question #3: Are there any viable energy alternatives?

Discuss and include a live link from a credible website.

The link must show how this is being addressed in a specific country.

 

Response:

Even though we tend to focus on the problems with oil and the rising prices of gasoline, there are still viable energy alternatives in the world. Some of the energy sources that are beneficial to the environment are wind power, solar energy, tidal power, and geothermal energy. I think that these energy alternatives will become more popular in the future. After all, the oil supply can't last forever; it is expected to run out 50 to 100 years from now.

 

Wind Power: Wind power involves a turbine that spins inside a generator whenever wind comes in contact with it. The turbines can be in a variety of sizes, from 240 feet tall to as high as 20 stories. When many wind turbines are built together, enough electricity is produced to power a small city. Wind power is not only important to the states in the Midwest, but also comes in handy in large, open areas that have a minumum wind speed of 14 miles per hour. Despite all of the benefits a wind turbine has, it is still an innefficient machine. If wind stops blowing on the turbine, it will stop spinning and, in turn, stop generating electricity. 

 

Solar Energy: Solar energy can be gathered anywhere where there is sunlight. It can also be found in everyday objects such as solar-powered watches and calculators. Homes that have shiny panels on their roofs take advantage of the sun's energy by storing that energy during the day and releasing it at night. The only major problems with solar power are that it takes up a lot of space, is expensive to set up, and produces a different kind of electricity than the kind our wiring systems are used to. 

 

Tidal Power: You have probably heard about tidal power before. Tidal power focuses on using barrages through which ocean tides can enter, giving off electricity. The tidal power plant only operates when the tides are moving in or out, which is about 10 hours each day. The major benefits of tidal power are that it is not expensive to maintain and does not release harmful particles into the air. Even though tidal power is reliable, it does not come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. One of the disadvantages of this energy alternative is that it could disrupt the movement of goods by ships. Also, it is difficult to find a suitable location for a tidal power station.  

 

Geothermal Energy: Probably the least known energy alternative in the United States is geothermal energy. Geothermal energy has to do with the pumping of hot water from deep underground, where the temperature is hotter. The water can then be used to heat buildings or to generate electricity by steam. Through my research, I have found that geothermal power has an unlimited supply of energy and produces no air or water pollution. A few disadvantages are that the best supplies of hot water are found in only certain parts of the world, the start-up costs are expensive, and the underground pipes can eventually erode. If geothermal energy becomes easier to access, it could become as important to us as wind power, solar energy, and tidal power.

 

When asked "what is the best energy source in the world?," I think that no energy alternative is better or worse than any other. They all have their own pros and cons (such as with oil). Because of this, I believe that the solution to fighting global warming is to use each energy alternative sparingly, not spending too much money on a single source. Think about this: If one part of a chain becomes damaged, the whole chain would not be as strong as it was before. Similarly, if one energy alternative is no longer used, we would all suffer. 

 

In Iceland, geothermal energy and hydroelectric power are already being used. Iceland also hopes to cut off all imports of fossil fuels and launch an "energy revolution" by the next generation. According to Maria Maack, the project director of Iceland New Energy, "we are so reliant on our fisheries, and the fisheries are totally dependent on oil. So we have a chance to be quite independent of this. It's not about the environment so much, it's about being independent and relying on ourselves to continue the way we live" (Tim Hirsch par. 18). Icelanders plan on making the hydrogen fuel cells that are currently used in cars in their long road to "independence."After I read this article on BBC News, I wondered how Iceland would be able to accomplish such an impossible task in so little time. Will hydrogen be the key to solving air pollution, or will it cause even more problems? We will just have to wait and see (click here). 

 

Pictures:

 

 

       

 

       Wind Power

 

 

           Solar Energy

 

 

 

 

     Tidal Power

 

 

 

 

   Geothermal Energy

 

 

Works Cited:  

 

"Energy and the Environment." Alliant Energy. 10 Dec. 2007

 

     <http://www.alliantenergykids.com/stellent2/groups/public/documents/pub/phk_ee_index.hcsp>. 

 

Geothermal Power. (Online image). Available

 

     <http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/02/07/mit-study-geothermal-to-supply-10-of-energy-demands/>.

 

     12 Dec. 2007.

 

Hirsch, Tim. "Iceland Lauches Energy Revolution." BBC News 24 Dec. 2001. 12 Dec. 

 

     2007 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1727312.stm>.

 

La Rance Tidal Power Plant. (Online image). Available

 

     <http://www.reuk.co.uk/Introduction-to-Tidal-Power.htm>. 17 Dec. 2007.

 

Renewable Energy-Pros and Cons. Sustainable Energy Ireland. 12 Dec. 2007

 

     <http://www.sei.ie/index.asp?locID=422&docID=-1>.  

 

Solar Panels at a Solar Farm. (Online image). Available

 

     <http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/01/1994041.htm>. 6 Dec. 2007.

 

Wind Turbine. (Online image). Available <http://www.ourworldfoundation.org.uk/sol-nof.htm>. 6 Dec.

 

     2007.

 

Olga K., 5 Dec. 2007.

 

 

Question #4: Is there a connection between oil and violence in the Middle East?

 

Response:

Well, I have to admit that oil can cause violence in the Middle East. Violence usually depends on the attitudes of the government leaders and the people in control of the oil supply. When a leader wants to spread violence around the world, he will use the money made from oil to his advantage. If the leader wants to improve the living conditions of the country's citizens, he will use the money for that instead. As sad as it may seem, we are the ones who fund violence. By paying money for oil from countries such as Saudi Arabia, we are, in a way, paying money to the terrorists. Many of the products we use are made from crude oil, including (but not limited to) plastic bags, crayons, bubble gum, deodorant, and eyeglasses. If we bought less oil from the Middle East, the government leaders would have less money to fund violence.  

 

On the other hand, the money made from oil is not always used to promote violence. It can also go towards constructing new buildings such as the Burj Dubai Skyscraper. Most of the oil supply in the Middle East is controlled by wealthy families, which means that not everyone is responsible for the violence that goes on. I believe that we should not blame the innocent people living in the Middle East. We should all try to promote peace, just as Martin Luther King Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi have done in the past.

 

Olga K., 12 Dec. 2007.  

 

 

 

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