By Harry Cooper
Since the industrial revolution, oil has fueled the growth of human societies across the globe, and led us into the modern world as we know it. But building the world’s economy on the foundation of fossil fuel has come at a price: pollution, a warming climate resulting in extreme climate events globally and devastating environmental degradation.
The continual usage of oil and fossil fuels has exacerbated our environmental issues. And humanity has now come to face the difficult task of deciding how to design our energy systems moving forward.
Balancing Our Oil Usage
We must undo our century long dependence on oil. However, we still must provide enough energy to power our industrialized world.
It can be hard to conceive of how we can effectively reform our energy system to work for both humans and the environment. But experts all over the world are looking for ways in which we can phase out the use of oil energy while still being able to power our civilization.
It is important to find the right balance of oil usage. With this, we can hope to make a better world for both people and planet.
Pros Of Oil Energy
Convenient Energy Source
Because oil has been our primary energy resource for over a hundred years, a lot of time and money has been spent on building the oil industry and oil extraction infrastructure. This has made it so that oil is more readily available to use.
In addition, oil can be easily stored in barrels, as opposed to other forms of energy that require limited batteries. This preexisting oil infrastructure and easy means of storage have made oil a cheap and readily available energy source that can help meet energy needs across the globe.
Efficient Energy Source
On top of oil’s convenience and availability, oil is already a very efficient energy source. Oil is also incredibly energy dense – in fact it is the most energy dense fossil fuel that we have discovered.
This density makes oil an incredibly powerful fuel source. In fact, it is one of the most efficient fuel sources available to us today.
Oil and Industrialization
It is easy to see how the world has come to be so reliant on oil. This reliance started during the industrial revolution, whereby countries began to focus more on manufacturing goods.
This shift to industrial societies entailed a variety of technological innovations. These new technologies, as well as the new manufacturing industries, were fueled in large part by oil.
Oil was one of the most significant driving forces of the industrial revolution. Oil is responsible for creating our fast-paced, mobile, globalized economy. This has helped to create a much more connected world.
Cons of Oil Energy
Air Pollution
Oil is an incredibly harmful and toxic substance, that causes innumerable damage to the environment and public health. One way in which it does this is by releasing harmful air pollution.
Oil releases high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air when burned. These VOCs help to form harmful levels of atmospheric ozone.
This kind of ozone is incredibly toxic to humans. It is estimated that 8.7 million people die each year due to air pollution caused by burning fossil fuels.
Climate Change
Climate change is one of the most notorious environmental issues of our time, and is in part caused by our over dependence on oil. Oil energy creates large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which are the main contributors of climate change.
Electricity generation via the burning of oil and other fossil fuels contributes around 25% of total greenhouse gas emissions. This makes the oil and gas industry the largest contributor of carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
Oil Spills
Another way that oil pollution can occur is through oil spills which occur in the ocean when pipelines burst or oil tankers sink. These spills leak dangerous chemicals into the ocean that cause widespread environmental pollution that kill large quantities of marine life.
Finding a Balance For Modern Energy Needs
Historically, oil helped humanity industrialize and move into the modern world. But oil now seems to be causing more trouble than it’s worth.
However, with renewable energy technologies on the rise, we are starting to see an alternative to our oil based energy system. But switching to an entirely sustainable energy system is no easy task.
Global Carbon Budget
A group of researchers from the Global Carbon Project, produce an annual “carbon budget” detailing the maximum emissions we can release in the next year before making global warming worse. Unfortunately, we are already close to meeting the budget, and the amount of oil currently available for extraction and consumption is almost seven times the current budget. And with more countries developing oil and gas projects, we can expect oil to be a major part of our society for the foreseeable future.
Cutting Back
While oil usage is still on the rise, renewable technologies are as well. As renewable energy becomes more widespread and accessible, we will start to see more and more places moving away form oil towards more sustainable options.
Phasing Out Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles
Many countries are attempting to phase out oil used in internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in favor of electric ones. For example, the UK plans to fully ban ICE vehicles by 2030.
The expansion of electric vehicle technology allowing for countries to set such ambitious goals for cutting back on carbon is just one example of how countries are beginning to favor renewable energy. Just take a look at the test flight of the World’s first all-electric airplane. As renewable energy technology becomes more accessible, companies will start to turn away from oil as an energy source.
Religion and the Pros and Cons of Oil
There are good reasons for using oil energy and good reasons for transitioning away from oil energy. In fighting for a more sustainable future, in which we are not dependent on fossil fuels like oil, it’s important to acknowledge the value of oil, while also fighting for what we believe in. Looking to religious wisdom, we can find inspiration on how to fight for what we know to be true, while acknowledging there is truth in the opinion of our opponents.
Here is a classic story from the Babylonian Talmud that illustrates the power of holding onto our truth, while also acknowledging the truth of others:
For three years there was a dispute between Beth Shammai and Beth Hillel, the former asserting, ‘The law is in agreement with our views’ and the latter contending, ‘The law is in agreement with our views’. Then a heavenly voice issued announcing, ‘[The utterances of] both are the words of the living God, but the law is in agreement with the rulings of Beth Hillel’.
Since, however, both are ‘the words of the living God’ what was it that entitled Beth Hillel to have the law fixed in agreement with their rulings? Because they were kindly and modest, they studied their own rulings and those of Beth Shammai, and were even so [humble] as to mention the opinion of Beth Shammai before theirs.
In our increasingly polarized world, can we recognize those who are fighting for oil as also articulating “the words of the living God”? We don’t have to agree with our opponents, but the more we understand where they’re coming from, the more progress we can make.
If we try to save planet Earth by ignoring those who think differently from us, we will be on the surest path to destruction. May God give us too kindness, modesty and humility to hear the opinions of others, while holding strong to our commitment to a sustainable future.
* Featured image source
