The Oil Problem

A Haunting Realization

GasolinePhoto credit: Cobalt123

Fossil fuels, such as oil, have been a primary energy source for much of the world since the Industrial Revolution, and have been part of the driving force behind rapid industrial, technological, and economic progress. However, these workhorse fuels will not be able to continue in their current capacity in the future. The dilemma is that fossil fuels are not available in sufficient quantities to meet future demand, cause too much pollution, and are too closely tied to areas filled with geopolitical instability.

“Fossil fuels are not available in sufficient quantities to meet future demand, cause too much pollution, and are too closely tied to areas filled with geopolitical instability.”

There is an old english proverb which states “All good things must come to an end,” a truth reflected by the current state of fossil fuels. Today, the world faces the haunting realization that alternatives to fossil fuels must be found, developed, and put into widespread use very quickly in order to continue the trend of progress.

Availability

Since every industrialized nation relies on fossil fuels as energy source, the future availability of these fuels is important throughout the world. In addition, oil availability is of particular concern to the United States as the center of the world’s largest economy. Unfortunately, while the United States’ and other nations’ economies continue to grow and develop, their access to fossil fuels will not. This limited supply will place ever-increasing pressure on industries throughout the world.

“Oil availability is of particular concern to the United States as the center of the world’s largest economy.”

In fact, oil is a finite resource that will eventually be exhausted. 1 While the exact time of this exhaustion cannot be predicted, estimates range from five to thirty years from now. 2 What makes this problem even worse is the likelihood of continued high growth in rapidly developing economies such as India and China. These economies will exert even greater pressure on already dwindling fossil fuel availability. Indeed, recent skyrocketing automotive fuel prices have given the first taste of events that will likely be amplified in the future, as fuel demand outpaces supply. 3

Pollution

Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, considered by many scientists to be the primary “greenhouse gas” responsible for global warming. 4 Researchers have determined that carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide in the air are now 35% and 18% higher respectively than their pre-industrial era levels. 5 While the issue of global warming has been strongly contested in recent years, and consensus on the effects of these greenhouse gases is fleeting, such an alarming rise in atmospheric pollutants should not be ignored. Furthermore, fossil fuels result in by-products such as sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides, elements which contribute to acid rain, as well as hydrocarbons, which can form smog. 6 These products can harm humans directly. For instance, nitrogen oxides irritate the lungs, and other by-products, such as particulate matter like soot and dust, can contribute to respiratory and cardiac problems including arrhythmias and heart attacks. 7

Geopolitical Instability

Oil wellPhoto credit: Clayton Bodie Cornell

Widespread use of fossil fuels leaves the United States’ economy and industries in a dangerous situation both economically and politically. Small disruptions in supply are able to cause significant spikes in oil prices, endangering the long-term economic stability of the United States as consumer of 25% of the world’s oil. 8 For instance, the damage done to oil refineries and offshore drilling platforms by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 resulted in an immediate spike of gasoline past the $3 per gallon mark, highlighting the U.S. economy’s vulnerability to oil supply disruptions.

“The vast dependence on adversarial foreign powers places the United States’ future security and stability in grave danger.”

The nation’s dependence on oil also exposes it to security concerns in an age of global terrorism. In recent years, acts of terrorism and geopolitical developments in the Middle East have made the future likelihood of steady oil availability from the region increasingly uncertain. 9 Most of the earth’s remaining fossil fuel reserves lie in the Middle East. For instance, Iraq, the site of a war that has claimed thousands of U.S. lives, holds the third-largest known oil reserve in the world. 9 The vast dependence on adversarial foreign powers places the United States’ future security and stability in grave danger. Essentially, the dependence on fossil fuels puts the nation in the position of directly funding political opponents in the Middle East and gives those opponents a great deal of political leverage.

References

  1. Lowy, Joan. An Exploration Of Alternatives. 12 September 2005. 29 March 2008 <http://library.cqpress.com/cqpac/weeklyreport109-000001853573>.
  2. Cooper, M.H. Alternative Fuels. 25 February 2005. 20 February 2008 <http://library.cqpress.com/cqpac/cqresrre2005022500>.
  3. Luhby, Tami. Pain in the pocketbook. 27 February 2008. 27 February 2008 <http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/27/news/economy/fuelandfood/index.htm?cnn=yes>.
  4. Cooper, M.H. Energy and the environment. 3 March 2000. 20 February 2008 <http://library.cqpress.com/cqpac/cqresrre2000030300>.
  5. The Union of Concerned Scientists. The Hidden Cost of Fossil Fuels. 10 August 2005. 29 March 2008 <http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/fossil_fuels/the-hidden-cost-of-fossil-fuels.php>.
  6. Cooper, M.H. Global Warming Treaty. 26 January 2001. 20 February 2008 <http://library.cqpress.com/cqpac/cqresrre2001012600>.
  7. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Latest Findings on National Air Quality. September 2002. 29 March 2008 <http://www.epa.gov/air/airtrends/aqtrnd01/summary.pdf>.
  8. Lowy, Joan. An Exploration Of Alternatives. 12 September 2005. 29 March 2008 <http://library.cqpress.com/cqpac/weeklyreport109-000001853573>.
  9. U.S. Energy Information Administration. “After Saudi Arabia and Canada.” 2007.