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Alternative energy sources
Alternative sources of energy essay 800-1000 words
Alternative sources of energy essay 800-1000 words
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As we talked and read about the oil topic in class, I first thought that oil was just the black stuff coming out of the ground. I then thought “how can I write an entire essay on just oil?” However, as we started talking, I realized that oil is really all of nature’s resources and these resources are slowly being destroyed. Nature is a resource that has been here for as long as people have. We use trees for paper, the rivers and lakes for drinking water and power, and oil for factories and everyday things we come in contact with. It is impossible to go about normal life and NOT encounter something made of oil and nature. One of the most critical problems facing many countries today is our dependence on oil for fuel. The United States is especially dependent on foreign oil. Oil is so vital to our economy that wars have even been fought over it. This is a major problem for the U.S. because of our “American dream” lifestyle. We use oil for heating, transportation, and electricity. The U.S. depends on foreign oil so much that when something threatens our supply, the prices skyrocket. For people in general, the prices for oil and gasoline have been very high lately. People have no choice: either fill up your car and pay the extreme amount of money or don't drive at all. The only exception to this is if you own a smart car; however, smart cars are not very popular. The U.S. may be in trouble when it comes to oil, but there are ways we can solve this problem. One way is to try to find alternative energy sources. We should research hydro-electric power, nuclear power, solar power, wind power or other possibilities. With an alternative energy source, we would not have to cut out oil completely, but we would n... ... middle of paper ... ... of these changes, the federal government would have to pay for some of the research costs. This idea is not, however, a good friend of the government. The Reagan and Bush administrations both were against this when it came up over the past 30 years. Current options such as drilling offshore and in the Alaskan wilderness as well as FRACKING will provide only a short-term solution and harm the fragile eco-systems. No longer can the people of this world take a reliable source of energy for granted. The world community must plan ahead to ensure a smooth transition from oil power to some other source or face a total chaos and a drastic change of any world order that might exist. These changes must also have the support of a large number of the population for them to work. This energy crisis must be solved by all of us, not some of us…..for reasons stated earlier.
The environment needs protecting because even before the drilling started hunting was rapidly decreasing the amount of animals in the area. So if drilling occured in Alaska the animal count would go down even more. Drilling is gonna need space, and because Alaska is a mountained and woodland area they will have to make space by destroying trees etc. Destroying trees means destroying animals’ homes. According to document E ‘just look 60 miles west to Prudhoe bay- an oil complex that has turned 1,000 square miles of fragile tundra into a sprawling industrial zone containing, 1,500 miles of roads and pipes’. Also the document states that the would be
In ancient times Babylonians used oil as mortar, Native Americans used oil as a topical medicine, and, before electricity, oil was used to create light. Mankind has been dependant on oil as a resource for generations. It has influenced growth, warfare, and technological advancement, but what if mankind were to run out (Alois)? The possibility of this eventuality was first vocalized by M. King Hubbert who introduced the notion of “peak oil.” When global oil production “peaks” it reaches its greatest output level and then permanently declines (Hubbert). There is much debate as to whether this “peak” exists, has already been passed, or will be passed in the near future. Despite the debate there is one undeniable fact; there is a finite amount of oil since it is a non renewable resource. Considering a sudden systemic collapse of all oil production seems unlikely, oil will probably be replaced gradually. This loss of oil could be positive; possibly less CO2 would enter the atmosphere and global warming may be stalled. However, the success of this transition away from fossil fuels will be largely dependant on the ability of developed nations to manage their time. If the US, or any other nation, is going to be successful, they need to start now.
Each time we use oil, even if we recycle, there will be a part lost for good. As such, hoping that the free market has the ability to allocate a nonrenewable resource over time efficiently (Stephen F. Williams) does not solve our oil problems now or in the future. A lack of oil, or energy, in a region commonly leads to poverty and fear (Gautier). This dependency on petroleum, or crude oil, could be damaging if the Earth runs out of this resource.
The United States has had several scares throughout its history in terms of oil, most turn out to be over exaggerations of a small event. However, these scares highlight a massive issue with the U.S. and that issue is the U.S.’s dependence on foreign oil. Why does it matter that our oil should come from over seas? In a healthy economy this probably wouldn’t be as relevant, but the U.S.’s economy is not exactly healthy at the moment. There are 4 things that I would like to address: what the problem is, how it affects us, what some solutions are, and what solutions I feel are best.
America the beautiful, land of the greed and the home of oil. Along with being a major superpower comes an insurmountable thirst for fossil fuels. Imperialist ideals and the corporate oil empire can bring stability and jobs but heavy costs also arise. Numerous solutions have been tried, but without fixing the underlying problem more issues are inevitable. Our over-consumption has an incredible effect on our reliance on foreign oil. OPEC, the Organization of the Oil Producing Countries, has supplied Americans with a constant flow of both oil and jobs. Nevertheless, progression comes with high cost to our environment, in addition to pulling us into international involvements. Increasing the United States’ domestic oil production was just a safety net solution, when the real issue is our consumption problem. The removal of huge profits from war could help eliminate future entanglement abroad. Although indirect control over foreign petroleum supplies seems to bring economic stability to the oil hungry United States, the unnecessary international involvement and costs to do so could be avoided by stopping the greedy war machine and turning our focus to domestic renewable energy.
To understand the increase in gas prices, one must first identify the distribution of dollars paid per gallon at the pump. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (eia) in 2010, the annual average paid at the pump consisted of 68% crude oil, 7% refining, 10% distribution and marketing, and 15% taxes (see Fig.1). This shows an increase of crude oil over the 2000-2009 average of 51%. (e. I. Administration)
The United States is in a recession and depends on foreigners to fuel our country. Oil companies are taking advantage of the power they have over gas prices and the economy is at one of the lowest points in all of our history. It can be seen that the way things are going now that change needs to occur for America to get back on its feet. Drastic changes will need to happen if we are going to continue to enjoy living in a very advanced and prominent country. By developing proper offshore drilling techniques, and alternate energy, America could eliminate debt and lessen dependence on foreign oil.
Fossil fuels have been proven to be damaging to our environment, economy and has made the United States vulnerable to dangerous and unstable countries by exporting the resources that they have. The U.S. depends on countries like Sadie Arabia for our oil supplies. How would we be affected if Sadie Arabia refused to sell us their oil? Would our oil reserves run out or would we be able to buy from another country? These are scenarios that we need to be concerned about. According to Rebecca Lefton and Daniel J. Weiss in their article “Oil Dependence Is a Dangerous Habit”, the U.S. has increased import of oil in the recent years, creating a bigger deficit in the United States. Our countries deficit has resulted in nationwide budget cuts. The continuation of oil imports with foreign countries is going to create an even larger debt in America. In 2008 our country spent around $150 Billion on oil imports alone (Lefton, R. & Weiss, D.J. (2014) Oil Dependence Is a Dangerous Habit. Retrieved from http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2010/01/13/7200/oil-dependence-is-a-dangerous-habit/). Environmentally, the burning of fossil fuels have led to global warming. As most of us know, global warming can cause changes in our clim...
In some shape or form, nearly all aspects of American life contribute to unnecessary exploitation of natural resources. The automobile is a staple of American life and culture, and perhaps best exemplifies Americans’ dependence on gross quantities of raw materials. On any given day, over 235 million vehicles travel 11 billion miles on U.S. highways, consuming nearly 20 million barrels of oil daily 1,2,3. Worldwide, oil consumption has reached a 16-year high of 80.6 million barrels per day 17. Most important of all, proven oil reserves around the world only provide roughly 40 years of production at these current rates 18. Oil consumers ignore this reality either through lack of education or simple apathy, because right now there are no immediate consequences to consuming such vast volumes of a polluting, non-renewable resource. Numbers like those mentioned above are so large it is difficult for one to fathom their true magnitude, however they still convey the reliance average Americans have on their automobiles and oil.
The year is 2200. The world is going through a fossil fuel shortage. Oil reserves are almost completely consumed and it is becoming impossible to find new fossil fuel sources. Not prepared for this event to occur, The United States, has no alternative options. As a result of the oil shortage, the standard of living deteriorates. Heat in homes, supermarkets full of food, and transportation, all basic necessities taken for granted, will be depleted because fossil fuels are used to power almost everything. The key to the prevention of this future is renewable energy. Unfortunately the support for the use of renewable energy is weak and ineffective. Unless the US puts forth effort to research and promote the use of renewable energy to consumers, conversion from fossil fuels to renewable energy will no longer be an option.
With the current spike in oil prices, many American consumers have asked, 'what is going on?' In order to fully understand the current situation and how it is affecting the economy one must look at a variety of factors including: the history of oil crisis in the United States, causes of the current situation, and possible outcomes for the future. It is only after meticulous research in these topics that one is prepared to answer the question, 'what is the best possible solution to the oil crisis?'
Oil is an essential resource in the whole world. People use oil in a variety of ways. The world has used oil for many years and it will still use it as a basic commodity. Oil use can be traced back to 1850s. However, when Edwin Drake produced commercially usable quantities of crude oil from a 69-foot well in Pennsylvania in 1859, he marked a new period that considered oil as a valuable commodity. Oil prices have been inconsistent since 1859. The discoveries of more wells considerably lowered oil prices and made some oil barons abandon the industry. However, oil prices have increased over time because of several factors.
Significance: The United States must face the fact that the world is running out of oil and with today’s rising oil prices, economic and political instability in regions where the United States gets the majority of its oil, this country must begin looking into alternative means of energy to replace oil and end our dependence on foreign powers.
Bayon's first body paragraph illustrates America's economic vulnerability in order to prove the topic of America's dangerous overdependence on oil. We consume more than our domestic oil supply due to being so oil dependent, and as a result the author indicates Washington D.C. is practically forced to do business with hostile countries for oil. This creates economic vulnerability of the United States to oil price spikes and inflation possibilities. In 2008, "The United States imported 4 million barrels of oil daily, or 1.5 billion barrels yearly from "dangerous or unstable" countries at a cost of about $150 billion per year. (www.americanprogress.org)." These oil prices of $150 billion dollars per year can be decreased if hydrogen fuel cells were in greater use. As a result of the laws of supply and demand, the United States will have no power over the increasing prices o...
Since the beginning of all recorded history human beings have been dependent upon mother Earth to supply us with our needs. We have cultivated the earth for crop production as well as domesticated animals to better suit our needs; for labor and even for food itself. Sustainability was never in question and land, crops, and animals were always in plenty if taken into consideration. A simpler life where survival through food, shelter, water, and reproduction were all that mattered. However, through time things have changed. From hunter and gatherer sects to farming communities; from small towns to booming civilizations; maybe most importantly has been the change of ideology. We as a society have changed from a simple nature of self sustenance into a society of greed. Greed that is represented in the forms of money, power, land, and politics. The effects of this greed are devastating to the environment. Since sustainability doesn’t necessarily formulate into the ideology of those who are greedy it has been pushed to the side. This has resulted in the Earth’s resources to be exploited, stolen, and in some cases even have led to bloodshed; these things only leading to people being able to line their pockets more deeply. One main culprit of these “crimes” is the oil industry.