Fossil Fuels

ossil Fuels

The day was Black Friday. Around the world people are purchasing goods and services that they may or may not need. Many of these goods created take crude oil to produce. The world needs to change its habits to sustain time in the creation of new alternatives to fossil fuels. In my research I found that crude oil or petroleum will only last approximately thirty to forty more years. That means that the clock is ticking and we must find a solution to this major question facing our world. How will the world function without crude oil? I believe our driving habits, consumption of goods, technological research and emphasis on conserving crude oil plus finding a substitute must be addressed now by the world.

Oil was not used as a source of energy until the latter half of the 19th century. Prior to that, wind and water power were used for industrial mills. Oil was used to power steam engines, but it wasn't until the late 19th century and the invention of the internal combustion engine that its demand soared. (Raphaël Van Laer ) After the 1950s, oil became the world's foremost fuel. The automobile and power plants in the United States created an enormous demand for petroleum fuel. This demand has only increased to the present day. And now it is almost gone! From my researching I found that oil will most likely run out in the next thirty to fifty years. "According to the US Government's Energy Information Administration, the United States consumes about 400 million gallons (1.51 billion liters) of gasoline every day. That figure equates to about 20 million barrels of oil every -day."(Pore, Robert). It is also said that global warming may not reach its disastrous levels due to the lack of fossil fuels feeding the fire. Coal which is also a fossil fuel is said to be able to last approximately another 200 years at the rate we are using it at right now.( (Raphaël Van Laer ) But when crude oil supplies run out, the world will have to rely on coal as the major fuel unless another major breakthrough is made in technology. With the world having a higher dependency on coal, it will likely not last as long as predicted.

If the population of the United States wants crude oil to last longer, its going to take men, women and children to contribute to the issue. Making fewer trips to the store, vacation choices closer to home, finding a job closer to your home and so on. One clear solution is for people to drive smaller fuel efficient cars. Hybrids like the Prius are a good example. The Prius may be more pricier than other cars, but in the long run it will save you money on gas (Micheline Maynard). Plus because it is running on electricity part of the time, if not all the time; so it is better for our air quality. Carpooling has and is also a great way to save fuel. Everyday I drive to Northgate by myself. I was able to find three others people