Gasoline, a product of crude oil, is the number one fuel source for cars on the road in the United States today. Since the beginning of the 20th century drilling for oil has been a major part of the American economy. Oil towns along America’s oceans and rivers have boomed because of new developments in deep water drilling and oil pipeline technologies. These profits have come at a price. The real threat of an accident causing oil to flow freely into the waters around the drills has been a concern for companies since drilling began. Even though advancements were made throughout the 20th century to reduce the risk of a spill the first 11 years of the 21st century have seen spills ranging from relatively minor to one of the worst oil spills in history.

When a wellhead was damaged because of an oil gusher on the sea floor it caused an explosion that killed 11 men and injured 17 others working on the BP Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico. Oil flowed into the gulf from April 20th 2010 until July 15th 2010 making this spill the largest marine oil spill since the industry began. When the well was finally capped it is estimated that 4.9 million barrels of crude oil was spilled into the gulf with an average of 62,000 barrels a day tapering off to 53,000 barrels a day by the time the well was capped. Wildlife, fishing, and tourism in the area all experienced a huge negative impact because of the accident. More than a year later beaches and costal areas along the gulf are still feeling the effects of this disaster and continue clean up.

Prior to the BP disaster an oil barge collided with rocks just south of Westport, MA. A twelve foot gash in the hull of the tank barge Bouchard No. 120, that resulted from the collision, caused around 98,000 barrels of Number 6 fuel into the surrounding waters of Buzzards Bay. The crash occurred on April 27th, 2003 and the following day a large amount of oil was found on Barneys Joy beach in Dartmouth. The shifting wind conditions dispersed the oil so after the initial contamination washed ashore surrounding beach communities as far as 90 miles away continued to be effected by the spill for more than two weeks. The spill cleanup has already cost $36 million dollars plus $9 million in fines and the company responsible is expected to endure further costs due to class action lawsuits by area land owners and others.

The most recent oil spill resulted when a pipe line under the Yellowstone River burst due to rising flood waters and other factors. Reports about this recent spill are still coming in but so far clean up crews have found around 200 debris piles, or oil mixed with organic matter from the river, whose size range anywhere from 1 square meter to 20 square meters scattered along the shore and floating down the river.

Currently scientists and researchers are working to find more efficient ways to clean up spills and help prevent them from happening.

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Smog is a problem that plagues cities across the world today. There are many contributing factors to smog including vehicular emissions, or high levels of smoke and sulfur dioxide caused by large amounts of burning coal. This dingy cloud that hangs over many cities can be the cause of many health concerns. Smog can trigger asthma attacks and cause respiratory irritation. On a few occasions smog has been deadly.

If you talk to people who were living in London England during December of 1952, they may refer to the “great smog” or “big smoke” the rolled in over the area during this time. The weather was very cold and the air was very still from Friday December 5th to Tuesday December 9th. The streets of London were covered with thick black and yellow smog. With no wind to help the particulates dissipate they just continued to collect over the city forming a poisonous cloud. These conditions caused what is considered the worst air pollution event in the United Kingdom’s history.

There were several contamination sources blamed for the great smog tragedy of 1952. Local factories and industrial complexes caused high levels of pollution to be released into the air from their diesel and coal powered machines. In addition low standards of regulation for consumer coal and freezing temperatures meant that Londoners were burning large amounts of a low grade variety of coal that released dangerous amounts of sulfur dioxide into the air.

In 1952 smog was not new to London, many times before the city had been engulfed in smog drifting from nearby factories but this time was different. Visibility through out the city was reduced to only a few yards causing all street transportation to cease. Even ambulance service was suspended. Usually smog refrained from making its way indoors but during those 5 days in December the smog found its way into every corner of London. Many theater owners were forced to cancel movie screenings and concerts due to a lack of visibility inside the auditoriums.

After the fog cleared the people of London were shocked by the illness and loss of life the smog had caused. A city that was used to a cloud hanging over head had not panicked during the 5 days of extremely low visibility. Early reports after the event showed that 4,000 people had died as a result of the fog and another 100,000 had taken ill due to its effects. More recent studies have shown that the death toll may have been closer to 12,000 people. The most common cause of death was respiratory tract infections. People’s air passages were becoming blocked by pus from the infections.

This tragedy impacted nearly everyone living in London and had an indirect effect on people across the world. This historic event caused governments and businesses to asses the risks associated with pollution. Governments began to pass legislation to hold corporations accountable for the pollution produced by their industry and also impose regulations to help monitor and control corporate impact. The events that occurred in London in 1952 lead to legislation that has been cited in many legal cases against corporations whose businesses have a negative impact on the environment.

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Is the world running out of oil? There have been a lot of discussions recently about the world’s oil wells drying up. It is indeed a reason for concern and it is natural to ask about reasons for this situation. The explanation lies in the law of supply and demand. Fuel consumption has reached such high levels that the oil reserves will possibly soon not be sufficient to meet the growing demands.

Fossil fuel is a term that refers to three prime energy supplies namely coal, crude oil and natural gas. Coal has been used to meet most of the energy requirements for more than a hundred years. Crude oil is the source of many oil products. Petrol and gas for vehicles, aircraft fuel, diesel and kerosene are the main ones that are made available through processing of crude oil. Natural gas also finds its place worldwide in commerce and industry as well as for use in houses.

One of the foremost causes that threaten the supply of fossil fuels in the foreseeable future is income per head. This is on the increase in many countries. People are earning more money and have more buying power. Buying fuel consuming items such as new motor bikes and cars go hand in hand with the better standard of living. The consequence of this is a need for more fuel.

The increase in population is a reason why fuel is such a burning issue. The modern family now has more than one vehicle per household. People are purchasing more cars so that they have the convenience of being able to travel to different locations for various events. This means an increase in fuel usage and putting a growing pressure on oil supplies.

Fossil fuels take millions of years to develop naturally. It stands to reason that at some stage reserves will be depleted. Experts have differing opinions as to when this will be. Predictions vary from seven to seventy years, but many come to the same conclusion. They tell us that eventually it will run out.

The modern way of living is also an important contributory factor. Many people prefer to use their own private cars and avoid public transport. Basically there are too many vehicles with too few people in them on the roads. We are also guilty of driving to places are within walking distance.

The answer to the question “Is the world running out of oil?”, is a firm yes as far as many experts are concerned. It is sure to happen. Renewable energy is the answer to the problem. Although there are some difficulties associated with it, this may end up as the only alternative available for mankind.

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