Research Paper.docx

Arnold FernandezJanuary 9, 2015Period 7Word Count; 1330

Environmental Systems and Societies Research Paper

Without the sun, the Earth would be uninhabitable. The heat and energy that the Earth consumes from the sun is where all of our energy comes from. As humans, we rely heavily on the consumption of fossil fuels. These are sources of stored energy from the sun, they stem from centuries ago and they represent a large portion of our energy today. Fossil fuels power 80% of the worlds economy. Non-renewable resources (coal, oil, etc.), resources that have a scarce amount and cannot be replaced (Rutherford, 2012) merely gives us 6% of total energy. This stems from the fact that they cannot be restocked after use; leading to limited amounts of consumption. Renewable resources (fusion, wood, Hydroelectric power, etc.) however, offer a more prolonged duration of use because they have the ability to restock themselves (Rutherford, 2012). Despite these seemingly different types of resources, they each have their share of advantages and disadvantages. Oil and hydroelectric powers are the most used resources in their selected groups. They each offer different uses and possess not only advantages but also disadvantages. Oil is the most used source for world energy (insert citation here). It is obtained from fossilized plants and microorganisms that are compressed to a liquid and found in porous rocks. Oil is the source for 37% of the worlds energy. It is mostly used burnt directly in transport or to generate electricity. The current price of an oil barrel is $45.89[footnoteRef:1]. This is a surprisingly low price considering how it was 7 years ago. The consumption, however, has never been higher. This graph[footnoteRef:2] illustrates the rising production of oil in the US throughout the years. [1: http://www.oil-price.net/] [2: http://www.energytrendsinsider.com/2014/07/10/world-sets-new-oil-production-and-consumption-records/]

In 2013, the US reached an all time high in oil consumption reaching 557,000 barrels per day. We are consuming more than we are producing and this can only lead to a problem in the future.

The reason why oil is the most used source of energy in the world is because it is one of the most abundant energy resources. Smith (2014) stated:In June, BP provided an intriguing update to its global oil reserves estimates in the company's yearly review of energy statistics. It raised its reserve estimate by 1.1% to 1,687.9 billion barrels just enough oil to last the world 53.3 years at the current production rates.

Two-thirds of oil reserves are in the Middle East. The majority of the rest is located in Russia and the US.

Another benefit of oil is that it is in liquid form, allowing for it to be easy to transport and use. Other resources such as nuclear fission cannot be transported, foiling one of the best aspects of oil.

Along with that, oil has a high heating value enabling it to convert into energy much easier. It has a high level of combustion meaning that it is much practical to obtain energy from it.

Once found, oil is very simple to mine. It is relatively inexpensive allowing for high production rates with low costs. The grand luxury of oil is that it does not require new technology to use. Little money goes into research and development because it does not require any sorts of innovation.

Just as there are advantages, there are many disadvantages concerning oil. The main problem being that there is a limited supply of it. Oil will eventually run out in 50 years time and this will cause a huge problem globally. With so many countries dependant on oil, humans as a whole must discover an alternative source of energy that is just as efficient as oil. Coal is the best alternative despite the difficulties in mining coal. Like coal, oil releases carbon dioxide when burnt and this harms the environment in a negative way. Another disadvantage of oil is that oil spills can occur when extracting it. This not only affects the waters in the ocean but it also harms the ecosystem. These spills are detrimental to many sea creatures and can eventually result in a large problem. Due to some oil pipelines being under water, many terrorists in an effort to steal oil coordinate attacks towards the pipes. The countries spend money in providing for security to ensure that this does not happen.

The countries that produce the most oil are Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the United States[footnoteRef:3] [3: http://www.indexmundi.com/g/r.aspx?v=91&t=10]

RCountryOil - production (bbl/day)

1Saudi Arabia10,520,000

2Russia10,270,000

3United States9,688,000

4Iran4,252,000

5China4,073,000

6Canada3,483,000

7Mexico2,983,000

8United Arab Emirates2,813,000

9Iraq2,642,000

10Nigeria2,458,000

The countries that consume the most oil are the United States, China and Japan.[footnoteRef:4] [4: http://www.indexmundi.com/g/r.aspx?v=91&t=10]

RankCountryOil - consumption (bbl/day)

1United States19,150,000

2China9,400,000

3Japan4,452,000

4India3,182,000

5Saudi Arabia2,643,000

6Germany2,495,000

7Canada2,209,000

8Russia2,199,000

9Korea, South2,195,000

10Mexico2,073,000

Hydroelectric power is energy that is obtained from the movement of water through rivers, lakes and dams that power turbines and thus generating electricity (Rutherford, 2012). They account for merely 3% of the world energy sources. This type of resource is said to be renewable because their is infinite supply. The flow of water through these locations are never ending and thus allows for unlimited source of energy. It has a high quality energy output compared with low quality energy input. Along with this, HEP creates water reserves as well as energy supplies for humans to use in the future. The reservoirs used are for recreation, and amenity.

Hydroelectric power also contributes to the storage of drinking water. The reservoirs collect rainwater that can later be used for irrigation or consumption. These power plants also do not release dangerous gases or toxins. It does not produce a problem for the environment. It plays a major role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. [footnoteRef:5] [5: http://water.usgs.gov/edu/hydroadvantages.html]

The negative about this resource is that it is very expensive to build. Not only does it require money, but it needs time and labor to be able to create a project as large as a hydroelectric power plant. With a dam in place, it can cause flooding in surrounding areas and if the dam were to ever break, it will cause a major flood in the community. It is a high risk, high reward type of resource. The risk of it ever breaking can cause not only huge chaos but also financial and social setbacks in nearby communities.

This resource may be costly, but it is very useful because of it being renewable. The importance of this is crucial because it means that there is unlimited supply. The value this has is undermined because eventually, when non-renewable resources have been used to it maximum amount, we will need to use these as our main source of energy. Non-renewable resources are much more efficient in providing energy. Oil, coal, and nuclear fission are faster and stronger in producing energy. Yet, the downside of this is that this consumption will not last forever. Eventually, the resource will diminish and we will have to adapt to not using the better resources. Until we find a more efficient renewable resource, we must continue to primarily use the non-renewable resources because they offer a better source of energy than renewable resources.

1. Advantages of Hydroelectric Power Production and Usage. (n.d.). Retrieved January 17, 2015, from http://water.usgs.gov/edu/hydroadvantages.html2. Country Comparison Oil - consumption. (n.d.). Retrieved January 17, 2015, from http://www.indexmundi.com/g/r.aspx?v=91&t=103. Crude Oil Price, Oil, Energy, Petroleum, Oil Price, WTI & Brent Oil, Oil Price Charts and Oil Price Forecast. (2014, January 1). Retrieved January 17, 2015, from http://www.oil-price.net/4. Smith, L. (2014, October 22). World Energy Day 2014: How Much Oil is Left and How Long Will it Last? Retrieved January 17, 2015, from http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/world-energy-day-2014-how-much-oil-left-how-long-will-it-last-14712005. World Sets New Oil Production and Consumption Records. (n.d.). Retrieved January 17, 2015, from http://www.energytrendsinsider.com/2014/07/10/world-sets-new-oil-production-and-consumption-records/