You’ve probably seen images of the devastated gulf area and its wildlife. Americans may be wondering what else they could have done to stop this tragedy. It is true that the oil spill in itself was, technically speaking, a result from BP’s failed oil well – get more info!
However the fact remains that the massive amount of crude oil encapsulated prior to this malfunction may have been a cause of the catastrophe.
The societal dependence that has resulted in the BP oil spill is due to the years spent using it as fuel, both for industrial use and individual livelihood. International Energy Outlook, 2010 published by U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), analyzed the trends. According to this report, worldwide oil consumption has risen from less 150 quadrillion Btu back in 1990 up to over 175 trillion Btu today. In the future, this upward trend in consumption is likely to continue. There are projections that usage will increase from 86.1million barrels a day in 2007 up to 92.1million in 2020. In the modern age, oil is as crucial to American life and health as water. Aside from the obvious consumption by automobile and fuel companies, manufacturing and industrial centers are exploiting the substance in alarming numbers. These use is justifiable due to commercial and consumer demand.
Future disasters, like that which engulfed southern California’s coast will likely be a repeat of the current one. While some parts of the industrial industry are choosing to ignore it in pursuit of quick financial rewards, others have made active efforts to reduce the country’s oil dependency. ECORE International’s Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based business has thrived by finding inventive ways to minimize, reuse and recycle. In their small private-owned factory, they recycle over 80,000,000 pounds (over one million barrels) of waste tire rubber every year to produce products for commercial and industrial uses. Energy saved by the company each year is enough to heat more than 600 households.
The fact that most of the industry is not making these efforts to conserve energy can be discouraging, however those firms who are embracing alternate means of production do not seem deterred by this. This oil catastrophe continues to wreck havoc on our natural environment as these companies work to protect it.