Petroleum

Lately in class, we discussed about Petroleum. Petroleum is a dark oil that consists of hydrocarbons. Though Petroleum is helpful in our lifestyle in many ways, there are also disadvantages of it that is harmful to our environment. Oil is a carbon based fuel and the primary way it is used is to burn it, releasing more than its weight in CO2 because of the added oxygen. CO2 is a greenhouse gas and is expected by most scientists to be a cause of global warming. It is also a scary topic to talk about because with the large amounts being used in our society, we are running out. Estimates vary from 50 to 150 years before we run out of oil. This is impossible to predict, but most major oil companies have been failing to discover new reserves equal to the amount of oil they are producing for the last few years. Another disadvantage is that wars get fought over oil, and wars are won with oil (WW2) so it can be a very negative influence on relations between nations. A common transport problem with oil is from the inherent dangers of supertankers. Oil spills do serious environmental damage that takes decades to recover from. While oil spills do occur naturally, and have over time, the effects are often catastrophic for the area affected. Oil does break down naturally from biological and chemical decay, but it takes time. There is also a large consumption of oil is increasing at the same time our production is falling. The world is currently consuming 83 million barrels of oil per day. We aren't producing that much. There are many more disadvantages that can be listed. But on the other hand, there also may be advantages. Crude oil, what it is also known as, is an excellent source of organic molecules for building plastics,medicines, rubber, fiber, etc. Can withstand high heats without breakdown making it useful as lubricants like motor oil and certain components make excellent solvents for paint, industrial use etc. Other components (propane, butane) make excellent compact source of portable cooking fuel and heating in areas that do not have infrastructure for natural gas delivery. Natural gas is used to make fertilizers used in agriculture and household detergents Compared to most other fuel sources it is still one of the most economical -in other words the costs to produce it are relatively cheap compared to other energy sources. Also if not for the discovery of oil, all whales would likely be extinct, because they were the primary source of lamp oil for lighting before oil, and are still recovering from hunting in the 1800's. The oil industry has been a source of much advanced technology and many new products that have changed our lives for the better.