Petroleum Use Essay

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Outline the economic, political, environmental and social issues related to the use of petroleum Introduction Petroleum is considered to be a non-renewable natural resource because it takes millions of years to form in nature. It is a base product for the manufacture of many things, including plastics and petrol. Prior to the 1850’s oil had never been used by humans but now, approximately half of the world’s supply of oil has been exhausted. This is approximately 1 trillion barrels (159 L per barrel). If the usage rates of petroleum keep rising at the same rates, it is predicted that the global population could run out of petroleum entirely within 40 years. There are also many economic, political, environmental and social issues related to the use of petroleum. The mining of petroleum is quite an expensive process. Petroleum is found from about 300m-3000m deep. Petroleum can be mined on land- or sea-based oil fields. After the mining, the crude oil is taken to a refining plant where it is separated into its various bi-products such as petrol and diesel fuel. Environmental Serious environmental issues are related to petroleum’s mining, exportation and then usage. Many of the organic compounds in crude oil are highly toxic and carcinogenic. Oil spills can be catastrophic. Oil will kill fish very quickly at a concentration of 4000 ppm. The black exhaust which sometimes comes from truck exhausts is a mixture of carbon monoxide, methanol and soot, which if inhaled will cause heart problems later in life. Overuse of petroleum products is one of the causes of acid rain, which is a pressing issue in many parts of Europe where acid rain kills forests and marine environments and corrodes landmarks. With high usage of petroleum comes a high level of CO2, which is the leading chemical responsible for climate change. All of these problems arising from high use of petroleum

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