Releasing Crude Oil Byproducts: The Final Step & Critical Investigation
Polar bear in the Arctic
It’s no secret: when gasoline is put into our cars, our cars burn it as energy to keep us moving. The byproducts of petroleum include other things that are ultimately burned and released into the environment, such as diesel fuel and kerosene. The release of these products into the environment is a problem on multiple levels–it has dangerous side affects for us all.
One major contributor to the environmental damage is the burning of fuels that result in the release of carbon dioxide gases. These gases cause the degradation of our protective ozone in the atmosphere, which reflects harmful UV light from the sun. Without this protective ozone, there is an increased amount of energy from the sun that penetrates Earth’s atmosphere, causing temperatures here to rise. The raise in temperature has an incredibly devastating effect on the earth’s environment, from melting ice caps (which is destroying wild life habitats) to causing weather patterns to become more violent, to completely flooding the land of shallow islands which are home to thousands of people.
The creation of plastic products, another byproduct of crude oil that is not biodegradable, lead to the pollution of water and land such as the great Pacific garbage patch. Due to currents, there is a static mass of floating plastic waste. This is terrible for the environment and is putting marine life at risk by destroying their habitats and trapping them in plastic objects. With all of these unfortunate side affects, it is unlikely that we will be able to continue to destroy the environment much longer without destroying the earth itself. Hopefully we will be able to overcome our dependency on petroleum products, but this is not certain. Efforts are being made to further protect the environment by organizations like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but they are just one agency in one country. Other countries such as China are strong contributors to climate change. Pollution is also caused by thousands of problems outside of the crude oil commodity chain.
So what can we do? Here are some simple tips to help reduce pollution that is destroying our world:
- Recycle: many stores and restaurants offer recycling options, as well as apartment complexes and cities when they pick up garbage. You can also take recycling to a local recycling plant in your city. It is easy to recycle and with all of the options that exist today, there is no reason not to just do it.
- Use public transportation: in modern times where it seems like everyone has a car, public transportation still remains a viable option for travel. If you live in a place with decent public transportation, take the bus or subway. While buses are not the most eco-friendly option, they will run every day regardless, but your car doesn’t have to!
- Walk or bike: walking and biking do not harm the environment in any way, and it is a great way to stay fit and active.
- Watch what products you use: many of the products that we use every day are produced without any thought to the environment. Tires, for example, are made from crude oil, which we learned is not produced in an eco-friendly manner. While there are not really substitutions for tires, there are substitutions for some of the other products we use. Plastic is also produced from crude oil, so use washable items instead of disposable ones, like glass cups or stone plates. When you buy paper, check the label to see if it has been made from recycled material. More and more companies are doing this now, so it is much easier to “go green”!
Unfortunate victim of trash in the Pacific Ocean