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The World's Oil Crisis Essay example

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Most socially aware Americans have heard about something called the “oil crisis.” Many people understand the basic idea, but what most people don’t realize is that the oil crisis is an unstoppable global phenomenon that will permanently change the way we live. Most importantly, people do not know that, by many accounts, this “crisis” will occur sometime in the next three to five years. There is not much question among experts that the oil crisis will occur, but there is plenty of speculation about when it will occur and what it will be like. Our society is deeply dependent on oil to function. Almost every consumer good in America requires some form of petroleum somewhere in its production (Savinar 15). Oil also powers nearly …show more content…

When the automobile was invented, petroleum suddenly became today’s valuable, sought-after, “black gold” (Hall). The oil industry has continued to expand into the sprawling. multi-billion dollar behemoth it is today. Until now, we have consumed more and more oil to fuel an explosion of cultural growth and technological development. We have ridden the wave of cheap, readily available energy and it has taken us to great heights. The problem is, now the wave is peaking and our abundant source of energy is rapidly disappearing. Oil is not a renewable energy source, which means that there is only so much of it in the Earth. Once we run out, it could take millions of years for more to accumulate. It is a fact that we are rapidly running out of cheap, readily available oil, and that oil prices will continue to rise. This problem of running out of cheaply available oil is the definition of the oil crisis. There is much debate about the nature of the oil crisis. People want to know when the crisis will occur and what it will be like, so they can know what to expect. The question of what it will look like is cause for endless speculation. Predictions range from the apocalyptic destruction of humanity, to a seamless transition to alternative energy sources, to the discovery of inexhaustible oil wells. Some feel that the future of energy is bright. According to the fact gathering website zFacts.com, “There is not going to

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