Environment

Another General Paper essay which I had gotten a 30/50 for.Again,I really don't know I did it.Hey I'm not like hoping to vie for attention or positive response or whatever but seriously,it's annoying.The essays that I do properly,I fail and those that I bullshit through I usually do relatively well.Oh well.Maybe I should just bullshit instead of doing properly next time.

Examine the claim that the world is too dependent on oil.

In this modern age of rapid growth and advancements worldwide, we use more and more essential resources such as oil in order to drive our economies. Indeed, oil is one of, if not, the biggest single source of the world’s energy for industrialization and even in daily activities. As such, there is an ever increasing dependence on oil worldwide despite the surging global oil prices.

Many countries worldwide depend heavily on oil for its industries to run smoothly, as well as for the country to function as a whole. The United States of America is one country which is heavily dependent on oil. According to statistics, the oil consumption of the country account for 11 percent of world oil production. Moreover, with globalization and rapid economic and technological developments, USA faces competition for the scarce oil resources by emerging markets like China and India. Therefore, this suggests that rapid economic growth equates to higher consumption of oil. This also implies that without this precious source of energy, all activities would come to a standstill. Industrial activities, especially those in heavy industries like petrochemical and steel, would slow down, communication would be hampered and cars and public transport like buses would not be able to operate. This would then result in the country incurring huge economic and welfare losses all because they are overly reliant on oil to drive activities within the country.

Oil is also an essential energy source in the production of food to meet the needs of citizens within the country as well as to provide food supplies for the poor. The systems that produce the world's food supply are heavily dependent on oil to function efficiently. Enormous quantities of oil are used as raw materials and energy in the manufacturing of fertilisers and pesticides, In addition, oil is crucial in the construction and the repair of equipment and infrastructure needed to facilitate this industry, including farm equipment, processing facilities, storage, ships, trucks and roads. The industrial food supply system is one of the biggest consumers of oil. Furthermore, with worldwide population growth, food production also increases in order to meet the increasing demand for food. Moreover, developing countries such as Zimbabwe and Somalia in Africa are experiencing population growth and food shortages and hence, more food must be produced in order to feed the masses and hopefully eradicate poverty. Hence, we see how food manufacturers are so dependent on oil in order to turn the wheels of their commercial activities.

Apart from the commercial and industrial sector, oil plays a crucial role in our everyday lives providing us with comfort and meeting almost all our needs. Oil is used to generate electricity which in turn allows our air-conditioners, televisions, heaters and refrigerators to function well. In addition, many of the products we consumed are made from oil-based petrochemicals such as pens, make-up, clothing and even the medicine and pills we take. Without oil, we would then be unable to enjoy these things and this highlights how even ordinary people are dependent on oil in our daily living.

Indeed, much of the world’s activities, whether commercial or domestic, are highly reliant on oil. However, we should not be too hasty to claim that the whole world is overly and too dependent on oil since there are instances where oil is not the main driver of activities.

There are people in the world who are able to lead their lives well without or with minimal oil usage. These people include those belonging to the Amazonian tribes, the Bushmen in southern Africa and the Maasai in East Africa. These groups of people lead primitive lives and are mainly hunters and gatherers who have practically no need for oil.Besides,they are mostly unaffected by globalization and therefore, continue on with their own lives without having to be hit by the global surge in oil prices or the increasing dependence on oil by other nations.

Lastly, in recent years, there have been new developments in seeking out alternative sources of energy. These alternative sources include biofuels, nuclear energy and natural gas. In parts of South America, sugarcane has been used to power cars for over a large distance. Also, there has been hybrid cars invented which tap on solar energy from the sun to operate. Thus, we can see that the world is trying to break away from the overdependence on oil as the sole energy source and constantly finding new means to drive our activities.

There are certainty limitations to the alternative sources of energy that Man has discovered. For example, harnessing nuclear energy is challenging as it is highly dangerous. Moreover, conducting research and development (R&D) into nuclear involves a large capital sum. Up to now, scientists have not yet found a complete substitute for oil and thus, oil will still remain the main source of energy that the world depends on. However, we should still take an optimistic stand and hope that in future, with more R&D and innovation, we will be able to find perfect substitutes for oil and so the world would not have to rely greatly on oil and risk it being depleted.