krsna Posted April 19, 2004 Report Share Posted April 19, 2004 Oil: Is it a gift or a curse? Most of the world could not live without it - though one day it might have to. Its existence brings wealth to the few, but enormous debts to others who need it but cannot afford it. Oil is the source that powers so much of society, but it also helps pollute it. And as the world becomes increasingly dependent on the substance for transport and homes, the pressure has never been greater to find clean, renewable alternatives. Is oil a gift or a curse? How would we cope without it? -- The following comments reflect the balance of the opinions we have received: The wars over oil are set to continue Brian , Edinburgh Scotland Imagine if the US and UK kept the amount of money they used to fight two gulf wars and used it instead to come up with a replacement for the internal combustion engine. That would certainly change US foreign policy for the better. However, as GWB and his family history is so oil soaked, I can't this happening too soon and the wars over oil are set to continue. Brian , Edinburgh Scotland No it's not a curse, but to survive without it we need an energy source - and it can't just be solar, wind, wave etc which means the environmental lobby is going to have to realise that nuclear power has to be part of the solution. John, UK We're not dependant on it, we could switch to hemp oil for our cars in a second except that the oil barons wouldn't stand for it. Tom, England I don't know but surely there must be some way we can blame America in this question. Everything else seems to be their fault. Mark, UK Oil provides the raw materials for not only fuels but building materials, plastics, medicine Adrian, Stamford, England I think the question ought to be "How will we cope without it?" because its going to run out sooner than people think. And I don't think we will cope very well at all. Oil provides the raw materials for not only fuels but building materials, plastics, medicine. Take all that away and there's not a great deal that's left. Adrian, Stamford, England This three letter word has caused lots of harm in this present dispensation. The so- called oil is a true gift in disguise. It is a blessing to some powerful countries and a curse to the weaker countries. Ulasi Paul, Bremen, Germany It's more of a curse than anything because it involves the exploitation of people due to the fat cats controlling it. Sure there was the industrial revolution but there now is a high price being paid for this oil and I don't mean money. Nyong, Leicester, UK We're addicted and totally dependant on the energy it provides Mark Fulford, Southampton, UK Yes, oil is a curse. We're addicted and totally dependant on the energy it provides, and we're spending that energy in an unsustainable way. People have blind faith that science will provide a solution, and they better be right. Otherwise first the Antarctic reserves will be raided, and finally there will be a war, with America the victor. We must collectively wake up to this problem and I applaud the BBC for discussing it here. Mark Fulford, Southampton, UK Transport by oil has revolutionised society, but now that the technology exists we should transfer to other fuels as soon as possible, or we will sorely feel the effects of having nothing to make plastics out of. Tim, UK Most people in this debate are considering oil only from the point of view of an energy source. Actually it is also the most important chemical feedstock. It is not only used to produce plastics, but pharmaceuticals and fertilizers. All of which are nearly essential for our modern way of life. Next time you buy an 800g loaf of bread you may like to consider the fact that around 800g of oil were used to grow, produce and deliver it. Roland Marslin, London, UK Didn't Mel Gibson present a potential outcome of the decline in availability of oil? The Mad Max series of films seem plausible to me in that particular respect. Mark Kaye, Macclesfield, UK If you think that oil is a curse, all you have to do is go back and look to the industrial revolution, and the pollution caused by coal at that time, to see that oil is a blessing. Hopefully we will get past oil too and things will improve further. steve, Boston, USA Oil is a precious gift - far too precious to burn Dave, Bristol, UK Oil is a precious gift - far too precious to burn - like coal it is an important source of chemicals used for all kinds of applications such as plastics and pharmaceuticals. An alternative fuel should already be in place for cars and power stations. Dave, Bristol, UK In a way oil is both a gift and a curse. It powers, in one way or another, most of the modern technology that we have today. The problems that it causes to the environment are well documented. But also of concern is the effect that it has on global politics. It is doubtful that the US and Britain would be so concerned with affairs in the Middle East were not that part of the planet the main supplier of this commodity. John Wallace, London, UK To say that oil is a curse is like saying the wheel is a curse. There will always be Luddites who think we should all be living in the Garden of Eden. It ain't so! Danny, Southampton, UK It is indeed a curse for nation like Iraq, the existence of which has dragged her to a number of wars. Suraj Chhetri, Kathmandu, Nepal Daft question! It is neither, it is a resource which has been heavily exploited over the last hundred years and will be replaced over the next fifty as reserves dwindle and their exploitation becomes less viable. Peter D, High Wycombe Could we cope without it? Not a chance, just cast your mind back a couple of years ago to the fuel strikes. Had that continued for a few more hours then I believe serious civil strife would not have been far behind. It is said a civilised society is three meals away from anarchy just as it is a few days without oil away. Nick, UK I'm optimistic we can eventually move away from oil dependence Neil Gall, Edinburgh, Scotland Oil is a gift which we have allowed to become a curse. Since the discovery of oil in Pennsylvania nearly 150 years ago we have built a society entirely dependent upon it. As world oil supply reaches its peak and enters its long decline in the next 10 years, the structures of that society will be stretched to breaking point. I'm optimistic we can eventually move away from oil dependence, but not quickly enough to avoid a lot of hardship and probably a major war. Neil Gall, Edinburgh, Scotland Eventually scientists will come up with something to replace oil, as our reserves dwindle. Until then, most of the world is very dependent on oil. Countries like the US, and the Arab countries that have their own oil, aren't as dependent on other countries. Europe, unfortunately, must depend on the Arab countries for oil and that can sometimes affect their political decisions and the attitudes of their people. Anthony, Ashburn, VA, USA It is a gift, but that gift has been abused by those who drive in huge, luxury cars when they could make do with a much smaller vehicle. I think we should make it last as long as possible, but there will be a time when reliable and affordable hydrogen and ethanol powered vehicles will need to be developed. However, these fuels will cost considerably more to produce than petrol, so those in countries where petrol is cheap will face a nasty shock in the future. Peter, UK The fact of the matter is that crude oil, like whale oil and coal before it, will disappear from the markets gradually as its cost relative to alternative fuel sources rises. That's the way supply and demand works - no major economic disasters, just gradual substitution caused by price changes. Jeremy, Regina, Canada Oil is without a doubt, a curse! Besides the pollution that it causes, it IS a very finite resource, the main reserves of which are located in some of the most hostile and politically unstable places in the world. Too much in western society depends on an uninterrupted supply. We need to invest major resources into research and development alternatives NOW. D. Jones, UK Oil is neither a gift nor a curse. A few hundred years ago you could have asked the same question about gold. There will always be limited resources and people will always be struggling to obtain them. Oil is not a problem, human greed is. Anonymous Fortunately, there is a finite supply of oil. Perhaps in the future we can direct our interests to a fuel supply that is renewable, accessible to everyone and doesn't demolish the environment. Wes Burnham, San Marcos, TX, USA Oil is power and everyone wants it Martin, UK Oil shouldn't be a curse but the way in which it divides the world into haves and have nots is. It's a cause of terrorism because oil is power and everyone wants it. The world lacks a global plan to truly share and distribute the world's resources Until we learn to do this then we will be cursed with sources for conflict and we won't be able to co-ordinate truly environmentally friendly policies. Martin, UK Electric vehicles (and hybrid electric/gas) are not only viable, but are competitive. With legislation to include tile-like solar panels on the roof of all new buildings a steady transition could be made. The reason it hasn't happened already - the fossil energy industry's political lobby is too powerful in the western world. Luke, Huddersfield, UK Oil as an energy source is anachronistic. We have the technology to start transforming our infrastructures, but we're too lazy and oil companies have too much political influence to allow it to happen. Shawn, Washington, DC, USA We lived perfectly well for thousands of years without oil, but that was an agricultural society with a much smaller population. Trade between today's industrialised nations depends on rapid transportation which depends on oil. The trouble is, oil is a finite resource and will run out sooner or later - some say within this century. Political leaders don't tend to care about the problems of our grandchildren though, they worry no further than the next election. There are plenty of alternate, safer, more reliable energy sources we could be developing but research needs money, and the money - and therefore the politicians - is controlled by the oil industry. So, soon we will return to a slower paced existence of bicycles and sailing ships - and those who survive will probably be much happier for it. Dan, UK Countries that find oil reserves within their own borders after becoming industrialised often benefit. Countries like the UK, US and more recently Norway became wealthier by adding oil to an already advanced economy. The problem is for countries that are not industrialised at the time they start exporting oil. When wealth comes out of the ground, instead of as a result of trade and manufacturing, the rulers do not need to tax in order to fund the state. It is taxation that leads people to demand accountability from their government. This process has not yet taken place in the Middle East largely because of their oil reserves. Colin Keesee, Moorpark, CA, USA Oil is neither a gift or a curse, it is merely a God-given resource. It is a necessity simply because we have it, and if it wasn't available to us, I'm sure our ancestors would have found ways around that problem. Oil gives us the power to move, to travel, to work. It allows us to conduct deals, travel to meet family or friends, be heated or cooled in a day of extreme weather. It is by no means a curse. Patrick Elyas, Los Angeles, CA Well this is what you get when you close all the nuclear power stations because of "environmental concerns". It's time people faced up to reality instead of blindly regarding every new development as a government conspiracy or worrying about hidden business agendas. I accept there is good and bad in every situation but surely anything would be better than coal and oil. Solar panels on every roof in the country gets my vote. Cath Davis, Leigh, UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.