do we need oil? stonecap: in the wake of yet another enviromental catastroph(massive oil leak in the gulf of mexico)the question arises:how badly do people need oil?  Icy_Uranus: I've often wondered whether mining oil is a factor in global warming, not just in the emmissions given off when burning fossil fuels, but whether the oil could be an essential coolant for the Earth. Does mining oil take away the coolant and cause an increase of heat from the Earth's core. Combined with the heat of the sun and the enhanced greenhouse effect, cause global warming. I've never looked into this, its just an out-there theory. There would be evidence if it was true, such as increased surface temperatures. And if it was true, I'm sure some brainiac scientist would have figured it out by now, not some dumbass like me. But unfortunately we do need oil at the moment. We rely on it too heavily. Without oil the global economy will collapse and our way of lives will be drastically changed. Until we come up with viable alternatives, we need oil. bigredboy: If you can actually go through a normal day without the need for oil, then maybe you can, but humanity can't unless there is a viable replacement.  summerrain: i understand that oil is consumed everyday by just about everyone on the face of this planet. its in things we wouldn't even dream it to be in. the fact is we can make the things we love without using oil or at least GREATLY reducing the consumption. The fact that we are a lazy society that hates change unless it has immediate benefits is the reason why we don't solve our growing dependency on oil.People are worried about the global economy crashing without oil consumption when in all reality we are a innovative race that if put in the right situation will prosper and grow on a new energy source.You should never underestimate the power of human intelligence. People really shouldn't think so much about the need for world money exchange and start thinking about what there going to eat when the environment is ruined beyond repair to even grow the most basic necessity Food. Or when the worlds water supply is contaminated. Maybe then people will figure out you cant survive on soda and other sugar drinks. I'm not saying burning oil for fuel needs to be completely taken out right away but i am saying we need to start using safer and cleaner energy sources. We don't have to have just one source of energy which is a common myth made up by corporations to keep down competition in fact we need to have many to where people can choose which they would rather use depending on there beliefs. If we had more options that we could buy our energy in fact the world market would prosper even more than the oil boom in the 90's. plus it would spread the wealth to farmers all while cleaning our atmosphere. Energy made by plants will give us better air to breathe. So the choice is ours we have the say you just have to speak over the people in power and make them represent you! stonecap: thanks for the comments;i guess we do need oil but if each individual could reduce the dependency maybe we would all be better off for many reasons;air,water etc.the interesting thing about the latest enviromental disaster(gulf oil leak)is the company responsible will aparently make a"large profit"off of this catastrophy and all of us will pay and may 11 workers and all the wild creatures that have lost there lives in this rest in peace.  LiptonCambell: I personally don't like how this topic is titled. Do "we" need oil? Who is the collective "we"? Shouldnt it be "Do you need oil?" stonecap: The title of topic "do we need oil" is fitting here because it is all of us as a people using oil that ultimately effect the environment.  Almasha: until we have invented something that completely substitute oil,we can not saying about reducing consumption of oil, cause every country wants to increase own economics (especially countries which produce oil&gas). Nobody needs that, though this racing is self-murder. stonecap: Yes,I totaly agree Almasha the solutions are out there and with oil being a limited resource people will eventually have to adapt.  chronology: The problem with Oil is it's high energy content and the valuable by products of refining the stuff for Gasoline. There is just so much energy locked in a Gallon of Gas, it is difficult to think of a practical replacement. stonecap: yes,oil is a valuable commodity and a total necessity in everyday life and whatever price the market demands i will pay. So the old saying of supply and demand applies here,which also means the customer ultimately controls the market.I will walk thanks! Responsible drilling is what we all need here today to protect the waters and keep the oceans from becoming a toxic soup. soloturtle: I think we already have the technology necessary to eliminate the dependence on oil we - as so-called "industrialized nations" - have. The problem is our unwillingness to abandon what we're used to and move on to something new and better for the environement (not to mention economically speaking as well). The wave of the future, and economic stability lies in pursuing and using wind, solar, bio-diesel and the serious use and production of algae based fuels. Unfortunately, the attitude is: change is scary.... you go first. LiptonCambell: Personally, I see alot of problem coming from the enviromental camp. Nuclear power, for example- we can build safer, more efficent power plants.....but many times enviromental movements promote bans on the construction of these more modern power plants. No new nuclear power plants have been made in nearly 15 years in the united states, with the old ones being allowed to tick away because no viable solution to replace them has been presented. These bans PROMOTE the use of oil and gas. It would be wonderful if wind and solar were where we wanted them- they aren't- not quite yet- and we have a clear source of electricity already avalible. soloturtle: We already have the ability to build wind turbines. Each turbine consists of approximately 80,000 parts (that means jobs). Turbines generate an abundance of electricity that can be stored and shared. They never have the potential to meltdown or cause damage to the environment or people. Oil is a finite resource. There is only so much of it. Eventually, it will be gone. Since oil is now necessary for the manufacture of most of the things we now use, it would behoove us to develop these alternate technologies and put them into action before the ingredients needed to make them are gone. Again - the biggest reason we rely so heavily on oil is because we choose to do so. Alternatives are available and even more effective. soloturtle: The United States House of Representatives just sent a watered-down Energy Bill to the Senate. Due to obstructionist Republican efforts (rooted in denial) and Democratic cowardice (rooted in wishy-washiness), the bill doesn't contain a cap on carbon emmissions. What the bill does contain is: 1. Oil spill liabilty: creating clean-up responses to oil disasters (like the BP mess in the Gulf of Mexico). So, business as usual. 2. Incentives for trucks that use natural gas. 3. Energy Efficiency: retro-fitting homes to make them more energy efficient. Sounds like the usual "turn off your lights and unplug the toaster when you're not using them." 4. Green Jobs (wtf???) Most everyone has heard the expression: Money talks and you-know-what walks... If there is a real desire to create Green Jobs, how about the obvious: wind turbines and solar panels. Manufacturing them (jobs), selling them (jobs) installing or constructing them (jobs), maintaining them (jobs), collecting, storing and distributing the energy created (jobs), administration of (jobs). This is the wave of the future since oil reserves will eventually run dry. Think about all the people who invested in computer technology back in the 1970's.... I bet they're rich now, and happy they got on board in the early days. Also, Rudolf Diesel designed his engine to run on peanut oil; and it did just that when it was premiered at the 1900 World's Fair. All diesel engines, without any modification, can replace gasoline with biofuel, right this minute. We just WANT to change, before we will actually do it. The technology is right there..... waiting for us. Excellency: Wind turbines do "melt down", they do create catastrophes too, but not on the scale that a automobile fire, or even a house fire do. they get neglected , lack maintenance, and fall to pieces. they are made of materials that need peroleum to make, and they sometimes create noise and eyesore......but they are way more sensible than the alternatives we currently have. The turbines being produced in germany, netherlands, and denmark right now are nearing 10 megawatts of power. That means 50 to 60 turbines create what a single steam powered turbine produces( about 500 megawatts) but with very little expense other than upkeep. If we train our people to service them properly, and spend the money to keep them in good shape, the average turbine will still only last 5 years before needing a gearbox. This is because the current gearboxes are very light to acommodate being so high in the air..The average turbine is more than 300 feet high, and only 20 or 30 feet wide!!! i hope that the new technology turbines with no gearboxes become more economical and prevalant soon! Outbackjack: The only problem with large wind turbines is if you put them in an area that has rare birds. Apart from that they work really well.I have one(small) myself for extra power and its great! Excellency: when in denmark i asked an engineer with repower.de how many birds per year the 5 megawatt turbine we were standing under would kill..he suggested it would probably only kill one or two birds every 5 years..i was skeptical until i saw a video of canada geese flying through a crop of turbines near barrie ontario..no birds were hit..no feathers lost. turbines in north america turn at 18-20 rpm stonecap: Oil is a valuable comodity and used resposibly is key to developing and maintaining economies.Alturnative ways of producing power and clean energy are very important to the environment and also to reduce the burning up of all the black gold.  Topsyturvy: My big turbo'd six loves oil, it keeps it from siezing. Oh gearbox and diff as well. Seriously though, Even though they've developed lubricants that don't use crude oil as a base, the massive oil companys, a multi billion dollar a year industry, wont allow oil production to stop until they've blead the earth dry. In recent times a country that will remain nameless started a war in another country and surrounding countries for this reason. The thirst for money will be the end for all humanity eventually!!!  Milly1407: I believe there is enough oil on the earth to keep mankind in supply of oil for hundreds of years to come ... but mans greed in making it an ever increasing costly expense will see its slow demise and it will become unaffordable .. hence man is seeking alternative fuel ... windturbines are slowly but surely one of those |
