According to the Energy Information Association, the state of Virginia in 1999 used 18.2 million gallons per day, ranking it 14th in the United States. I'm sure all of you own a car, drive, or at least ride a car. And well, if you don't, you are still affected by fossil fuels. Our society is dependent on fossil fuels for travel, food production, and other processes that hold our lives together. It's hard to believe that such a thing could shape our society so much. But to truly understand the effects of fossil fuels it is first important to understand how fossil fuels are produced, especially petroleum, and how this ultimately affects our society both politically and economically. Fossil fuels are produced when organic material is under high temperatures and pressures for long periods of time, perhaps millions of years. Therefore, burning fossil fuel is like throwing antique furniture into your fireplace in order to heat your house. Fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources meaning: they are finite. Ultimately if they are used faster than their production time, they will diminish, perhaps ultimately be gone forever. With the rise in population and the enormous amount of fossil fuels used each year, the amount of fossil fuels are depleting at startling numbers. In fact, the oil reserves of many countries are now either past their midpoint of depletion or close to it, except the United States which is far past it and the five Middle Eastern countries which are far from it. Experts admit that the world is not running out of petroleum immediately; but it is quickly exhausting the supply of cheap oil. As it becomes increasingly scarce and controlled by a handful of countries in the Persian Gulf, oil will still be inexpensive to produce, but will become more expensive to buy. Opec, otherwise known as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, has 67% of the world's reserves, which explains why OPEC is expected to have long-term control over world oil supplies and prices. Saudi Arabia, with 26%, has the world's largest known crude oil reserves, followed by Iraq with 10%. With most of the World's oil reserves being in the politically volatile Middle East, it is important to maintain good relations with those countries. In fact, When Arab nations embargoed the United States in 1973, American drivers were held hostage to long gas lines, limited supplies, and skyrocketing prices. When a revolution changed governments in Iran in 1979, American drivers felt the brunt of the oil shortage. When Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, U.S. drivers feared they would again feel the pinch at the pump. But ultimately when Iraq invaded Kuwait in the summer of 1990, the United States and other developed countries went to war mostly to protect their access to oil in the Middle East, especially from Saudi Arabia. As Worldwatch Institute researchers Christopher Flavin and Nicholas Lenssen put it, "Not only is the world addicted to cheap oil, but the largest liquor store is in a very dangerous neighborhood." "Not only is the world addicted to cheap oil, but the largest liquor store is in a very dangerous neighborhood." "America's reliance on energy, and fossil fuels in particular, has lately taken on an urgency not felt since the late 1970s," Dick Cheney once said, "Without a clear, coherent energy strategy, all Americans could one day go through what Californians are experiencing now, or worse." One proposed solution to this problem is increased domestic production and fuel efficiency. Currently, the United States imports about 56 percent of its oil. Most agree this is not very sound economic or national security policy. "The nation still has not learned the lessons of the seventies following the OPEC oil embargo," said David Nemtzow, president of the Alliance to Save Energy. "OPEC is in the driver's seat, and Congress has given it the keys." I'm sure you can all relate to the roller coaster gas prices faced every time you all tank up. Politically the need for fossil fuels has forced us to be dependent on other countries, especially those in the Middle East, which eventually attribute to gas prices rising and falling, mostly rising. Because of this dependence, our relations with Middle Eastern countries are very important. Some scientists have estimated that humanity has consumed about 800 billion barrels of oil and currently uses about 25 billion a year. Oil is a fossil fuel, and the world will eventually run dry. The only question is when. Environmentalists push conservation as the key to reducing dependence on foreign supply. Another step toward this goal is fuel efficiency. But ultimately what is the answer to the fossil fuel issue? Alternative, more sustainable and efficient energy sources, such as solar energy, wind power, hydroelectric power, and other more environmentally, independent resources seem to be the answer. However these products are new and are only used by a small percentage of the U.S. and involve a large lifestyle change. I'm hoping that next time you are at the pump you'll stop to think of how fossil fuels affect you. |