A Dark Drug
One would think that after thirteen spills in one year, America would reduce its dependency on oil. Sadly, that is not the case. In a 2009 ranking for the top five offshore oil producers in the world, America came in second (Bourne, Jr. National Geographic). Barrel after barrel, our country drained the world of a natural resource without any regard to the environment, the economy, or the oil supply left in the Earth’s reserves. From the start of America’s addiction in 1900, the nation went from a few thousand barrels extracted a day to a staggering eighty-five million barrels (Roberts, National Geographic). This number is quickly leveling out. America, as a nation, must come together and search for fuel alternatives, whether this may be power provided by the sun, wind, or organic oils, we must find a solution.
“World oil demand is surging as supplies approach their limits…For decades oil geologists have theorized that half of the world’s original endowment of oil has been extracted…” (Roberts, 87-92) As America has grown a lust for energy, the world’s supply for crude oil has depleted. True the Earth works in a continuous cycle, providing more oil over the years, but the process is time consuming. It is projected that in 2015 the world will hit the peak for oil production. When that time comes Saudi Arabia, the United States, Norway, Mexico, Brazil, and all other forerunners of oil production will be struggling for finding new fuel alternatives. This is why the United States must utilize these few years to focus on funding new alternatives. Solar panels, bio-fuels, and the extraction of oil from tar sands and coal deposits are all alternatives. Scientist and environmentalists have these technologies but lack the funding to continue with their plans.
With thirteen major oil spills in the past year it would be easier for the United States’ government to look into providing other energy alternatives. The cost of clean up, workers compensation for those on the oilrigs and those in the towns, and providing lodging for the workers does not compare to lesser amount the government could spend on solving our addiction. In truth it is more affordable looking for ways to invest in the worlds future. This investment provides jobs in science, engineering, and construction, while reducing our dependency on oil. It will also reduce green house gases. This seems so simple, provided the government contributes to the cause.
Oil does provide a ecological boom to many towns near oilrigs. In Serbia the town of Surgut “… was a collection of wooden hovels, in a place where severe winter lasts four months. Today it is one of Siberia’s largest cities, with 300,000 people” (Starobin, 81). This is all because of the oil sector of their economy. Today Russia is the top supplier of the world’s oil, 70% of the world’s reserves are in Siberia. The sudden increase in demand for oil made the smallest desolate towns in Russia into bustling metropolises. Filled with trend setting clubs, rich oil moguls, and the workers and their families, these cities show all of their appreciation toward the oil rich earth. The jobs provided by oil companies are irreplaceable. Many workers are second or even third generation oil workers. In Louisiana most revenue was provided by oil production. $31.1 million of revenue shared with the states is supplied by Louisiana.
During the last oil spill it became all too clear how important the oil industry is. Thousands of American’s were out of work for months during the clean up, while Louisiana suffered an even worse recession than the rest of the nation. While oil may offer the country the most revenue, Louisiana’s main industry is tourism. Black beaches littered with fish and bird corpses are appalling contrasts to the once white pristine beaches that created the industry. The dependency the nation held to those oilrigs caused gas prices to rise and the fishing industry to falter. Animals died as clean up crews desperately tried to fix the mess left behind by the track marks of our addiction. We are a nation of addicts and it is time to break the habit.
“ If photovoltaic panels covered just three tenths of a percent of the United States, a 100 by 100 mile square, they could power the entire country.” (Johnson, 38) The technology is there. The funding and enthusiasm for new fuel alternatives is lacking. The solution will not be a complete switch from one fuel to another; it must be a combination of different fuel methods in order to reduce oil dependency. Solar panels, bio-fuels, coal, oil, and even nuclear power must be used in concert and in moderation as a bridge to meet our existing energy needs. Only one of these methods is not the entire solution alone, each is costly and time consuming and each expel green house gases. However, breaking this reliance on oil will help our country stand on its own economically and environmentally. It will provide new jobs and new educational opportunities as more and more colleges add environmental and conservation studies to their curriculum. Advancements in architecture, automobiles, and infrastructure will allow more people to explore these new sciences and do good for the planet. In other words, we cannot afford not to explore new alternatives.
The grasp oil has on the United States is disturbing. Oilrigs may bring jobs to the world’s economy; however, when entire towns depend on the revenue it brings, there is a problem. The damage oil causes when there is an accident is horrifying, families and wild life suffer as the government continues to sit on the solution. The technology is there, the funding, however, is not. We as a nation cannot continue without these fuel alternatives. The American people and the government must accept this need and seek out means to use these technologies. Together we will bring about change in the environment and in the economy. And maybe then we can break away from this addiction.
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