Personal Reflection : The Key To Poverty And The Environment

The U.S. should invest in alternatives to oil, and drill on the United States grounds because it will assist the economy, preserve energy and fix the world’s environmental problems. The supply and demand for oil is always on the rise, and problems are contemplated with the use for oil. Those problems are starting to catch up to the modern world, and something needs to change before the world enters a black out. Experts can predict that there is estimated to be somewhere around 61 years of oil left for us to use at our current rate. The demand for oil is always rising. People in today’s modern society rely so heavily on oil, that they would not know what to expect if it

Course Description This course focuses on the causes of, impacts of, and solutions to environmental issues. Students identify global environmental issues as well as develop and critique environmental action plans. Topics include ecosystems, energy, populations, resources, pollution, and sustainability. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • • University policies: You must be logged into the

The Energy Information Administration in 2004 released puzzling information that by 2025, Saudi Arabia will have doubled the demand of the oil needed for consumption; 22.5 barrels of oil per day. Maass explains that this information cannot be more than wrong because it is simply discussing the demand for oil without taking into consideration that oil does not last forever and the field that Saudi has currently are growing old. After reconsideration, the EIA retracted their statement and lessened the amount. The author quotes Sadad al-Husseini on the topic of peak oil from his interview, “That’s not how you would manage a national, let alone an international economy. […] You draw some assumptions and then say, Okay based on these assumptions, let’s go forward and consume like hell and burn like hell.” (25). Husseini is the former Vice President of Saudi Aramco, the Saudi Arabian oil company. When Maass asks if Husseini believes the Saudi, or even the world, will ever be capable of achieving the current and projected needs for oil, he simply states, No. Saudi Arabia is just an example of the many countries with, once full, oil fields that are now facing a scarcity amount incapable of energizing the planet. And are surveying new sources for energy to profit form.

The growing oil scarcity in the early 21st Century and its possible implications on the global economy, including economic growth, inflation, food security and poverty, is a subject that has been widely well known and discussed by a plethora of scientists and economists. Peak oil, a term coined by M. King Hubbert in 1965, is generally defined as “the time in our history when world oil production will reach its all-time peak and begin to incline forever”(Hirsch et al., 2005). By their finite nature, there is no argument over whether fossil fuels – oil, gas and coal – will go scarce, but rather when this will occur, whether alternative energy supplies will meet the ever-increasing demand, and how best to oversee such a transition. The failure to do so could result in a profound word-wide economic crisis leading to lower economic standards in developed and developing countries alike. Cuba, one of the only countries that has faced such a crisis yet, is an example of options and hope.

As we all know, the energy debate has been ongoing for decades. There is a laundry list of opinions concerning energy use and production. When it comes to oil we are all too aware of the price and demand for what has proven to be the most valued resource on the planet. Advocates of alternate energies insist that the end of oil is nearer than most of us may think, while proponents of petroleum assure us that due to technological advancements there are still large untapped reserves which promise to see us through the next century despite our increasing demand for this black gold.

Energy is everywhere. Energy makes your car move, powers your electronic devices, and makes a bulb give off light. Where does almost all of this energy come from? Currently, fossil fuels are used to provide for 82% of the United States’ energy demand (Bradley et al.). The world is powered heavily upon a highly limited source known as fossil fuels. The world’s main sources of these fuels are being heavily deprived of. What will happen once these deposits become fully deprived of oil? The world will fall into turmoil unless we switch to an alternative source of energy as soon as possible. Alternative sources of energy are typically more expensive, although the resources are more reliable and green. Along with reliability, with modern advancements in technology, those alternative energy sources have the potential to take over the need for fossil fuels and become far less expensive to harness and utilize. The utilization of these alternative energy sources would not only fix the issues regarding the Middle East and having to rely on their harnessing of oil, but also many modern economic problems that are caused by this need for oil from the Middle East.

Insights gained from the course: The four sessions on sustainability during the two weekends have given me a deep insight into what sustainability is all about, and the responsibilities organizations and individuals have, in their capacities, to preserve what Nature has given us, and pass them on to our next generation. I have understood that the Sustainability study involves the transformation of our civilization toward a regenerative system that promotes healthy and stable ecosystems, consumes natural resources no faster than they can replenish, releases toxic pollutants into our habitat no faster than they can be absorbed, fosters healthy and cohesive habitats that can coexist and continue long time in the future. Sustainability initiatives work to change the world by changing our activities in our personal and professional lives to achieve these objectives.

The trends in the oil industry are clear and undisputed: exploration and production are becoming more costly, and are giving rise to greater environmental risks, while competition for access to new prospective regions is generating increasing geopolitical tensions. According to the International Energy Agency, the rate of world crude oil production reached its peak in 2006.[IEA 2010a) The IMF has joined a chorus of energy industry analysts in concluding that scarcity and high prices are here to stay.[IMF 2011a, 2011b]

The writing I did this semester for Engl 110c has meant alot to me because I was able to pick a topic that has such a huge impact in my life. I was able to do the topic about Navy Wives, which has a huge impact on me. I recently became a navy wife a year ago and my life has changed drastically. I was able to share everything I wanted to about the life of a military wife through my writings, as well as share to my classmates about my topic. I really enjoyed creating my ePortfolio because I could come out of my shell and be me. I made a ePortfolio website that would be for military wives to read. I believe this website would be perfect for any military wife reading it. I was able to give tips and information on what it’s like to be a military wife, how to prepare for deployments and how to stay strong being a military wife.

I have attended all fifteen sessions for the duration of this semester. The only session that we got dismissed due the air quality issue from the fire in Sonoma County. My comprehensive way to keep track of attendance record is written on my calendar. In addition, I would have contacted my peers to take down the necessary notes that I missed.

I started my lesson off by allowing the students to shake their wiggles out. This helps them stay focused on the lesson. We meet after lunch so they are usually tired and ready to go home. After, we did that I asked them to look over their push/pull charts from the previous day. I told them to reflect on the lesson (interactive PowerPoint) from yesterday and to think about their opinions they developed. I gave them one to two minutes to reflect and turn and talk to their neighbor. As they talked I went around to listen in on the pairs to make sure their conversations were on task. After the two minutes were up I asked each pair to raise their hand if they were finished discussing their opinions. I allowed several pairs to share their opinions. I also asked the groups to provide two reasons to support their opinion. I restated some of their answers to make sure they were providing two reasons. I also did that to allow other pairs to possibly learn new reasons to support their opinion. After, three pairs shared I asked the class “what is an opinion?” I let two people in the class share their answer and then I restated their answer. Next, I asked them “why do opinions have to be supported by reasons?” I called on one student to share their answer. I told the class to think about what we said yesterday. After, I explained why opinions had to be supported by reasons I informed the class that today we will be constructing an opinion piece. I asked the class if they had ever

Energy plays a vital role as a catalyst for economic growth and high standard of living. It is a fundamental input for all sectors, fuelling transport and providing electricity to industry, commerce, and agriculture. Yet access to energy remains an elusive goal for approximately 1.5 billion people worldwide (International Energy Agency, 2009). Given energy’s importance in promoting economic growth, governments tend to assist the energy industry through policies that support research and development, provide low interest loans, and deliver subsidies to producers and or consumers. The Global Subsidies Initiative estimated that global subsidies to fossil fuel producers were approximately $100 billion in 2009 (Global Subsidies Initiative, 2009). Coady et al. (2010) estimated that consumer subsidies for petroleum products amounted to $57 billion, globally, in 2003, $519 billion in 2008, and $136 billion in 2009.

A goal that GCC monarchies should strive for is greatly reducing domestic consumption of hydrocarbons. This would free more resources to be exported and thus boosting government revenues. As it has been stated, Saudi Arabia’s internal consumption of oil and gas is increasing at 7% yearly, and it is expected to double in a decade; a similar occurrence is taking place in Qatar and other wealthy countries of the Persian Gulf. In this regard, Reiche (2008) put forth the case of Norway: the Scandinavian country is a net provider of fossil fuels, yet, according to the Norwegian government , roughly 98% of its electricity is generated by hydropower, which emits no greenhouse gas. This allowed Norway to devote almost the entirety of its oil

Saudi Arabia is the largest oil and natural gas producer of oil in the world attributed to its vast reservoir (Jasimuddin, 2001). The economic growth seen over the years has been dependent upon exploration and production of oil for local and international market (Jasimuddin, 2001). Oil in Saudi contributes up to 40% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and an approximate 80% of its annual revenue (Elachola & Memish, 2016). Largely, the exports that emanate from Saudi Arabia to the tune of 90% are from oil and natural gas products (2016). The country has invested a lot of capital in the exploration and production of oil over the years (2016). Saudi Arabia has enjoyed a competitive advantage over the rest of oil producers for the better part of the 21st century(2016). The world is experiencing a fall in the oil prices now due to a shift in the demand and supply curve. Consequently, Saudi Arabia is beginning to lose its competitive age due to the continuous fall in oil prices (2016). Currently, the world’s oil price is at $42 per barrel and has been fluctuating unpredictably to as low as $30 per barrel (2016). Saudi Arabia is mostly dependent on oil and the continuous fall in prices puts it at risk of economic crisis(2016). Subsequently as the strategy advisor and policy commissioner, by using Porter’s Model of Diamond of National Advantage, it will give the impact oil prices have on the country.

Before the last drop of the prosperous, cheap oil had been pulled from the grounds of Saudi Arabia, humanity had enjoyed a time of the greatest economic advancement in the history of mankind. Oil gave humans the ability to do tremendous amounts of work in a short time. Oil powered equipment which build infrastructure the roads, bridges and cities. Oil was fed into tractors and combines to work the land and produce ever greater crop yields. Oil was harnessed to make the electricity that powered millions of homes. Oil was the lifeblood of humanity for nearly 150 years. Unfortunately, this industrialization was obliterating the earth’s ecosystems and was the embodiment of the term “unsustainable development”, leading to deforestation, pollution and global warming. Today in 2062, oil trades for $1000 a barrel and is fast becoming even more difficult to produce. The only remaining deposits of oil must be mined in the already depleted oil sands of Canada, Venezuela, the United States of America and Russia. The exponential decline of oil production starting in the 2020’s forced humanity to quickly replace the energy source they relied so heavily upon. But in doing so, humanity changed many of their practices and created a far more sustainable civilization. The depletion of the earth’s oil reserves was one of the greatest moments in the history of mankind, since it forced humans to look towards alternative and cleaner energy sources.