What Will Happen To Society If Oil Runs Out? (Research Paper Sample)

What Will Happen To Society If Oil Runs Out?
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What will happen to society if oil runs out?
The world as we know it today is too reliant on crude oil as a source of energy. B.P. Statistical data indicates that oil and oil products are the leading forms of energy in use all over the world. Developing countries like India and China are also increasing to the consumption of the world’s oil. Most of the petroleum is used in factories as well as fuel for automobiles in these mostly populated countries (Heinberg, 2006).  The B.P. statistical data indicates that over 30% of people on earth today rely on oil as their primary source of energy. The world today consumes thirty billion barrels of oil every year. This brings us to the questions; do we have enough oil reservoirs to sustain a world that is over dependent on oil? What will happen if the response to the first question is no and we run out of oil? The answer to these questions lies in the unbelievable fact that we might never run out of oil.
Oil is a fossil fuel. This means that it was formed from the organic remains of plants and animals from the past. It is essential to recall that every living thing has to die at some point (Nakaya, 2006).  That being said, the formation of oil and other fossil fuels is a recurring process. It is also necessary to highlight that the US alone has over 2 trillion barrels of oil under its soil, and it is not even the leading producer of oil in the world. Human beings can therefore, put the thought that a crisis is brewing as far as depletion of oil reserves is concerned to rest. However, oil cartels have taken over the industry causing frequent fluctuation of oil prices. Similarly, and somewhat ironically, the countries that lead in the production of oil in the world are also some of the most politically unstable countries. This makes production and distribution of oil rather difficult and results in a fluctuation of oil prices (Mills, 2008).
Alternative sources of energy are being encouraged a great deal in the present moment to all the nations of the world. Coal, natural gas, wind and solar are being used in most developing countries in the bid to mitigate crises related to oil price fluctuation, as well as the eventual possibility of depletion of oil reservoirs. These fuels are gradually reducing the dependency of people on oil as a primary source of energy. Environmentalists are also on the front line, advocating for more environmentally friendly fuels to be used to avert an environmental crisis. People are using these sources of energy a lot more, and their popularity is growing quite a great deal.
This is another way of ensuring that oil reservoirs do not run dry. The world should therefore; take a breath at the r...