Jake Harris

Fernando Saucedo
Oil Inefficiencies
In day-to-day life, you have stimulus to behave unethically, but in the long term, it
always pays off to be ethical. Although it was not what Swiss-Brazilian billionaire, Jorge Paulo
Lemann had in mind when he delivered this statement, petroleum has proven to be unethical.
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, is an inefficient resource when viewed from a long-term
perspective because it is nonrenewable and is harmful to the environment.
Like many other resources found within the earth, petroleum is not only non-renewable,
but also undergoing rapid depletion. Fossil fuels, such as petroleum, are created when large
amounts of organic materials are melted. These organic systems break down as they are buried
and subjected to extreme amounts of heat and pressure1. Today the refinement of crude oil into
gasoline, among other products, is viewed as the most efficient (although short-term) option for
powering the lifestyle of the general public. The use of crude oil products allows for the greatest
release of energy relative to original size, and avails greater opportunities for consumers (e.g.
shorter driving durations, simple usage, and flexibility within changing conditions)2. Although
fossilization and decomposition of organic material will continue for many years, the rate at
which oil industries extract this resource far outpaces the millions of years necessitated by the
organic systems to be broken into fossil fuels. Additionally, because it is created from organic
materials but released often as liquids or gasses, crude oil is unable to be reutilized. If the
resource suddenly became unavailable, there would be a period of chaos within society where
systems of transportation and survival would no longer be able to function. Humans are not the
only ones who can be negatively affected by the carbon-based fuel. Even before it can be used,
petroleum oil can harm the environment.

Oil spills seriously endanger animals by causing digestive and respiratory problems and
by inhibiting the animals necessary functions of survival3. Ingestion or inhalation of oil by an
animal leads to poisoning. Externally, the oil can reduce an animals mobility by coating its fur
or feathers. This, in turn, prevents the animals from hunting or evading predators. After death,
predators of those original animals ingest the oil covered carcasses and can be subjected to
similar effects. In April of 2010, the world experienced its largest deep-sea oil spill in the Gulf
of Mexico. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill lasted 87 days as 210 million gallons of oil was
released from a burst pipe on the Gulfs floor. For the next two years, studies found that the
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill led to deformities in the heart and other vital organs of aquatic
animals in the area3. This valuable human resource was eating away at the environment prior to
it even being put to its intended use.
Each day millions of cars across the country harness the energy of fossil fuels through
internal combustion systems. Although the automobiles are powered by a liquid, the released
state of the fuel source is an assortment of gasses. One major health risk which stems from this
transformation is the carbon monoxide emitted from the tail pipes of cars. Inhaling large
quantities of the the gas within a small closed space reduces the human blood streams ability to
transmit blood to key organs and can therefore be lethal in large amounts4. Additionally, other
byproducts such as carbon dioxide have demonstrated destructive abilities as a greenhouse gas.
As the heat that rises from the earth interacts with the carbon monoxide existing in the
atmosphere from automobile emissions, small amounts of heat are trapped. The heat thus
trapped in the lower atmospheric levels has led to a global concern about rising temperatures5.
As humans, we are so concerned with completing our daily tasks as efficiently as possible, we
forget that we are slowly destroying the earth with invisible gas emissions in the process.

Although crude oil appears to be the most efficient resource for transportation and
fueling purposes, in reality, it is only a short term solution. The pollutants that are released into
the environment through spills or as a gas, are slowly eating away at the earth. Individually, we
must do our part to reduce our use of petroleum by taking eco-friendly or eco-conscious modes
of transport like bicycles or public transport systems. As a whole, our society must invest in the
search for renewable energy sources designed to reduce the erosion of life from our planet while
simultaneously meeting the efficiency expectations of consumers. For the sake of our planet and
future generations, we must sacrifice our short-term desires for a long-lasting solution

1.) "Oil (petroleum)." EIA Energy Kids -. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.
2.) Bennett, Ralph Kinney. "Why Gasoline Is Still King - AEI." AEI. N.p., n.d. Web.
28 Jan. 2016.
3.) Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.
4.) "Cars and Air Pollution." Cars and Air Pollution. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.
5.) "The Greenhouse Effect." The Greenhouse Effect. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.

Omitted Sources
1. "Solving the Energy Problem." Solving the Energy Problem. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.
2. Shellenberger, Michael, and Ted Nordhaus. "The Problem With Energy Efficiency." The
New York Times. The New York Times, 08 Oct. 2014. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.
3. "Thinking About the Energy Efficiency Gap." RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.
4. "A Regulatory Framework for the 21St Century." Eastern Economic Journal25.3 (1999): 25363. Web.
5. "Renewable Energy.", Forms and Types of Renewable Energy. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan.

2016.