Oil and Our Planet (Part I: A brief history of Oil and Its Economic, Cultural, and Social, Impact)
What do you think we should do?
“We Are Addicted to Oil.” George W. Bush January 31,
2007
• I’ve often said one of the worst problems we have is that we’re dependent on foreign sources of crude oil, and we are…It is clear that when you’re dependent upon hydrocarbons to fuel your economy and that supply gets disrupted, we need alternative sources of energy. Sept. 26, 2005
Oil - The Early Days
Oil The Early Days – Edwin Drake Titusville PA 1859
Oil Formation and Extraction
Formed Remains of tiny sea plants and animals that died millions of years ago
Conditions Buried under sand and silt and must be trapped under non-porous rock Extraction Many methods offshore, to tar pits (Canada) significant drilling and costs.
Oil Formation and Extraction
Why is Oil important? Economic, Social, Cultural Impact
America’s key Economic ingredient to becoming a superpower. Automobiles -Airplanes - Malls -Sporting Events
Why is Oil Important? Economic Impact
Petrochemicals/Oil Products Products derived from petroleum
Why is Oil Important/Military
“Oil fuels military power, national treasuries, and international politics.” Robert E. Ebel – Center for Strategic and International Studies April 2002
US has less than 5 percent of the World’s total population – consumes about 25% of the world’s total supply of oil.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy International Energy Outlook 2003
Why is Oil Important/Vermont Perspective Tourism -Maple Sugaring
Oil as An Energy Source in the United States
Nation’s total Energy Supply
40% Oil of the nation’s total energy supply 24% natural gas 23% Coal 8% Nuclear Power 5% Others
Source U.S. Department of Energy – Annual Energy Outlook 2004
Oil Reserves
Major Producer 1. Saudi Arabia
2. Iraq 3. United Arab Emirates 4. Kuwait 5. Iran
Proven Reserves 261. 8
112.5 97.8 96.5 89.7
Percentage of World total 25
10.7 9.3 9.2 8.6
6. Venezuela
Source: U.S. Department of Energy International Energy Outlook 2003
77.8
7.4
Oil and Our Planet US Foreign Policy and Oil Part II
Oil and US Foreign Policy
After World War II – Oil would influence American foreign policy decisions.
Cold War Cold War and Oil .
“It was to the strategic interest of the United States to keep Soviet influence and Soviet armed forces as far as possible from oil resources in Iran, Iraq, and the Near and Middle East.”
Source: Klare, Machael. Blood and Oil. Henry Holt and Company, New York: 2004.
Oil and US Foreign Policy (Timeline)
1945 (Feb) - Roosevelt Doctrine – Promised Saudi King Abdul Aziz ibn Saud protection for oil. Truman & Eisenhower Increased Military Aid to friendly producers in the Gulf
Oil and US Foreign Policy (Timeline) Truman
(1947) Acting Secretary of State Robert Lovell assured the U.S. ambassador in Riyadh that if another power attacked Saudi Arabia, the United States “would take energetic measures to ward off such aggression.”
Source: Klare, Machael. Blood and Oil. Henry Holt and Company, New York: 2004.
Oil and US Foreign Policy – Eisenhower
Joint congressional resolution (1957)
President was authorized “to use American combat forces to defend friendly Middle Eastern countries against Soviet-backed aggressors and to provide additional arms and military assistance to proAmerican regimes”
Oil and US Foreign Policy (Timeline)
Kennedy Dispensed US planes to Saudi Arabia when Yemeni forces attacked Saudi Arabia
Nixon
In part due to Vietnam promoted a policy of increased military aid to friendly states in the Persian Gulf. 1980 (Jan 3) - Carter Doctrine “would use any means necessary including force” to keep the oil following from the Gulf.
Oil and US Foreign Policy (Timeline)
▪ Iran-Iraq War ▪ Put Kuwaiti tankers under the American Flag
▪Promised to protect the Saudi royal Family ▪Provided Iraq with loans, intelligence support, arms.
Oil and US Foreign Policy (Timeline)
Reagan Supported Arms sales to Saudi Arabia in return for their support of the CIA’s efforts to topple soviet backed regimes
The Link
Osama bin Laden, Al Qaeda, Taliban
Oil and US Foreign Policy (Timeline)
1991 Gulf War “Desert Storm”
Hussein looking for a quick financial fix to debt incurred from his war with Iran marched his troops into Kuwait (Aug 2, 1990) Hussein was “in a position to be able to dictate the future of worldwide energy policy, and that [would give] him a stranglehold on our economy.” Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney Sept 11, 1990
Oil and US Foreign Policy (Timeline)
Oil Production would have to grow by 60 percent between 1999 and 2020 to meet anticipated world consumption of 199 million barrels per day. What does the future hold? Do we have an oil crisis? Will improvements in technology help us keep up with demand? Are there other sources of energy we should pursue?
Source: US Department of Energy International Energy Outlook 2003
Oil and Our Planet (Part III Global Warming)
Global Warming
The U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a report on the state of planetary warming in February that was surprising only in its utter lack of hedging. "Warming of the climate system is unequivocal," the report stated. What's more, there is "very high confidence" that human activities since 1750 have played a significant role by overloading the atmosphere with carbon dioxide hence retaining solar heat that would otherwise radiate away. The report concludes that while the long-term solution is to reduce the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, for now we're going to have to dig in and prepare, building better levees, moving to higher ground, abandoning vulnerable floodplains altogether.
Source: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1604908,00.html accessed 1 April 2007.
Oil and the Environment/Global Warming
Global Warming Definition
An increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere, especially a sustained increase sufficient to cause climatic change.
American Heritage Dictionary 2000
An increase in the earth's average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate and that may result from the greenhouse effect.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary 2006
Causes of Global Warming (Greenhouse effect)
Burning of Oil/Gas Coal Natural Gas
Deforestation Nitrous Oxide (natural and man made – (fertilizers) Methane
Global Warming – Carbon Dioxide CO2 along with other greenhouses gasses trap heat
and warm the earth also contributes to Ocean acidification Smog Natural amounts of CO2 have varied from 180 to 300 parts per million (ppm), today's CO2 levels are around 380 ppm. 25% more than the highest natural levels over the past 650,000 years
Source: www.environmentaldefense.org
Coal and Smog Pollution
Greenhouse effect and CO2
Greenhouse effect and CO2
Global Warming Critics
▪ Earth is in a natural warming phase the current
▪ Natural Vs. Human impacted warming
▪ If the earth is warming plants and humans will find ways to adapt.