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Fossil Fuels And Its Impact On The Economic, Political, And Social Construct Of Texas Essay

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Introduction
In 2010, the United States became the world’s largest natural gas producer, claiming the top spot that was formerly owned by Russia. The U.S. is now ranked as one of the world’s largest producer of oil and natural gas liquids, creating about 50 percent of its own oil in 2014. The Lone Star State produces about 35 percent of the country’s oil and 23 percent of the country’s natural gas. Texas has always been a major center for oil and natural gas companies starting from the discovery of oil in the early 1900’s. Consequently, fossil fuels play a significant role in the economic, political, and social construct of Texas. However, scientific studies have provided information highlighting the numerous environmental problems that can come from the production and use of fossil fuels. Should Texas try to eliminate the use of fossil fuels and preserve the environment or do the economic benefits that come from oil and natural gas production outway the use of cleaner energy sources? How would Texas respond to this situation socially and economically? How do fossil fuels affect the environment and is it even possible for Texas to only use renewable energy ?
Brief History To tackle this subject, one must understand the how Texas got into the oil and natural gas industry in the first place and how it began to change Texas politics and economics. The first economically significant discovery of oil happened in 1894 in Navarro County. This discovery led to the creation of the

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