A Time of Transition

The concern for oil is a growing topic that presents a challenge for anyone trying to embark on the mission of finding the truth about oil and its possible depletion. The world contains crude oil reserves across the entire planet but trying to calculate how much there was or how much is left is extremely hard to do. Oil is a vital substance that helps sustain the life that people have become accustomed to and what would we do if it all just ran out tomorrow? The world would be in horrible condition. Vehicles would stop running, boats would stop sailing, electricity would not be what it is today, and life would be completely different. Research has shown there are alternative fuel options to slow down the demand for oil but it is currently not an efficient enough way to solve these global problems. These other sources are not exactly oil but have similar characteristics that provide an outcome that is comparable to oil. Without exploring other options the world is in danger. Oil depletion has a lasting effect on the planet and is the source of many emission issues and the transition to alternative fuels is approaching and is needed to help solve oil dependence issues.

The thought of oil depletion sets forth problems that we never saw coming. The increased demand for oil has brought the world to extract oil from anywhere possible, compared to the past, when oil was abundant and cheap to extract. The current supply for oil is uncertain and this is due to the fact that some data is unavailable for political or economic reasons, poor reserve reporting practices and some regions not be explored fully yet. There is also an uncertainty about the amount, costs, and the environmental impacts that are associated with oil. The future demand of oil is unknown due to the new advancements in technology such as biofuels and hybrids. All these unknowns are leading up to a need for substitutes for conventional petroleum and this is predicted to happen within the next ten years (Brandt 2852-2860).

There is still oil left, but there are new ways of obtaining this oil. According to Monica Heger, there is an end to easy oil and we are now forced to develop new skills to get the same product. Heger states that in Alberta, Canada, there are large tar sand fields that contain 13 percent of the world’s oil reserves and under these tar sand fields is a resource called bitumen, which is refined to produce oil. Back in the early 2000’s this area saw massive industry being developed and sought to have a strong presence in the global demand for oil. The production of cheaper conventional oil slowed the demand for this non-conventional oil and swayed investors to keep their money and the oil-rich tar sands of Canada saw a decline in production. So, this is not the conventional crude oil that is most popular but it is a source of oil, which can be used in the same ways. This production of oil is extremely difficult to preform and can be held responsible to releasing twice as much greenhouse gases than the regular production of oil. The result of more greenhouse gases causes more danger for the people and thus returns hurting the planet even more. Considering that the world is consuming oil at an alarming rate, brings up the topic of drawing a line between providing a better future or continuing the practices used now and ruining the world for future generations.

The demand for oil and oil products has caused a dramatic decrease in the world’s oil supply. Oil is a topic that is discussed in great detail regarding if we have hit the peak and if the supply is to run out anytime soon. Back in 1956, a gentleman named M. King Huppert forecasted that United States oil would peak in 1970’s. After much criticism and doubt in Huppert, the United States hit its peak around the 1970’s and everyone was shocked. The thought of running out of oil was absurd. This is now known as “Huppert’s Peak” and it sparked a new interest in the consumption of U.S. oil. Huppert and his co-workers believe that there are roughly two trillion barrels of oil on the Earth and about one trillion of those barrels have been used. This consumption has put the world closer to “Huppert’s Peak” for global oil peak and this is matter that has an effect on everyone. The crisis of final oil production is not achieved when the last well is drained and the last barrel is produced but when the peak is attained and a huge price increase hits and causes turmoil in the lives of everyone (Serwer). This concern for oil depletion is an extremely important topic and is being discussed through several governmental leaders and there is a need for change but understanding the current oil conditions needs to be looked at before a solution can be found.

According to Strahan, oil is consumed at about 85 million barrels a day and is forecasted to be about 105 million in 2030. The estimated decline in oil production is also in 2030 and the demand for alternatives fuels will be sufficient topic worth discussing. The searches for alternative methods of capturing oil have been short come due to the availability of these outside sources. Non-conventional oil which to date has been slow to expand at only 1.5 million barrels a day and these non-conventional oils also take more energy to produce and are held more responsible for higher carbon emissions than a typical barrel of oil. The large demand for oil is the result of the increased investments being brought upon to find better oil production and the fear of running out of oil in 2030 has caused a recent surge in demand for non-conventional oil such as tar sands that contain bitumen which is used to produce the oil. The high demand for oil has caused a demand for new sources of oil or energy and this is a step into the future, but is it the right step?

There are several new ways of reducing the demand for conventional oil and one of the most commonly used now is biodiesel. Biodiesel is an alternative fuel that is used in diesel engines that are used in several applications ranging from transportation to power generation. Biodiesel is a huge step in moving into the right direction and it is what needs to be done to slow down dependence on oil and transition the world into a better place. Biodiesel is a clean-burning fuel that is produced by using grease, vegetable oils, or animal fats. The process of transesterification is used to produce this fuel and it consists of transforming the grease, vegetable oil or animal fat into fatty alkyl ester which in simple terms means that the starting product is mixed with an alcohol and catalyst to produce a useable fuel. The use of biodiesel is easily a new source to typical diesel fuel because it requires no change to a diesel vehicle to run this fuel. This alternative fuel has many benefits including that it can be stored and transported the same way as typical diesel fuel, the fuel is oxygenated providing longer life for diesel vehicles, and it is combusted more completely reducing the waste of fuel (Vasudevan, Briggs). With the increase interest in biodiesel the discovery of challenges are there but is this a step worth risking?

Biodiesel has many advantages and is certainly better option than conventional oil but is this worth the time and money to reduce dependence on oil? Currently the production of biodiesel is not a profitable compared to conventional diesel production, but the search for cheaper raw materials has made it more competitive and is providing a brighter future for the industry. To explore lower production costs there are a few simple steps that need to be taken to make it more efficient than conventional diesel. There needs to be a reduction in feedstock prices and these are nonedible oils, waste frying oils, and animal fats. The process in which producing biodiesel relies on these raw materials and if they become cheaper, the production and sale of biodiesel would follow (Vasudevan, Briggs). There are problems associated with all types of alternative fuels, but the production of biodiesel has the fewest and the use of biodiesel has an enormous effect of reducing demand for conventional oil and is a step in the right direction and needs to be explored in every way possible to make it a stable source of fuel. The production of alternative fuels is not only reliant on solving the problems associated with transportation but is also in research for solar energy which reduce reliance on oil production.

Recent increases in the price of conventional oil have caused a new interest in solar energy which would help reduce dependence on oil production and provide a brighter future. Stated by Bennett Davis, if the world could find a piece of land about half the size of Texas and discover a way to capture 20 percent of the sun’s rays the world’s energy problems would be solved. Can this be as simple as it seems? Due to advancements in technology, some do believe that it is possible. Due to the incline in conventional oil prices, others have looked in alternative ways to find energy and it has resulted in the development of new technology that is able to produce great solar energy. This new technology can capture almost 50 percent of the sun’s rays and convert them into useable energy, which is the cleanest and most renewable source of energy there is. Is this the right step to moving away from the strong dependence on conventional oil? Of course, this is a step in the right direction for reduction for many reasons. Many of today’s power plants are run by coal, this may not seem like this means anything to oil but it does. It takes hundreds of trains, trucks, and machinery to extract and deliver this coal and in which all the trains, trucks, and machinery rely on oil to perform their duties. Slowing down the chain of use of oil is the key to reducing oil dependence and solar energy does this greatly.

Dependence of oil has raised a new growing concern for the planet and the environment. The ways of obtaining vast amounts of cheap conventional oil are coming to an end and the world is in transition to a new era; relying on non-conventional oil production. Oil is a vital substance to the lifestyle that millions of people have become accustomed to but is something that we can learn to live without. Before the discovery of oil, man managed to survive and adapt without oil and there is no reason we cannot adapt either. This is an extremely drastic comparison but the world needs to realize that oil will not be here forever and that change is necessary. If the world continues to consume oil at the rate it is now, the future generations will be worse off and be left with the majority of the problems created in this current time period. The transition to new energy for the planet is difficult task to achieve but with interest in this field there is no reason that the world cannot be saved of its growing oil concern and shift to an era of clean and renewable energy that will benefits millions and millions of people.
 

Works Cited
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Heger, Monica. "The End of Easy Oil." Discover 31.7 (2010): 16-17. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 11 Oct. 2010.
Serwer, Andy. “Oil Prices Are Spiking—Has Supply Hit Its Peak?.” Time Magazine 2004. 5 October 2010
Strahan, David. "Scraping the bottom of the barrel. (Cover story)." New Scientist 204.2737 (2009): 34-39. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 6 Oct. 2010.
Vasudevan, Palligarnai T., and Michael Briggs. "Biodiesel production—current state of the art
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