A World without Oil - Research Paper Example

?A World without Oil When we think about oil, many people think about diesel fuel, which is primarily used for transportation. What most people do not comprehend is that oil has been the foundation of the modern civilizations. It does more than fuelling vehicles as it drives diverse aspects of the economy. Typically, the modern world depends on oil for development and existence. Oil is beneficial in powering motorcycles, trains, cars, planes, and trucks. The impact of the world without oil would be catastrophic since the other energy alternatives would not suffice to drive global economy. Our reliance on motor vehicles would make us look for alternative solutions such as electric cars, which are few or converting vehicles that function on natural gas. Following this, a world without oil would dictate the need to replace the oil based infrastructures with new technologies and new sources of energy. The World would revert to the way it was when oil was an unavailable resource. Everything would be local, small farming communities, homes with wood-burning stoves, no more international business, and office places. To some extent, the world would be a better place free from pollution as oil is the major attribute of pollution. Lastly, a world without oil would mean the development of other forms of energy as mentioned previously. With this in mind, the aim of this paper is to discuss how a world without oil would be like. Miller (8) believes that, a world without oil would affect transportation and there would be a dramatic increase of prices for goods and services. This is because civilization and agribusiness depends on large machines that use oil in production and transportation. Insect repellent and fertilizers require oil gas during distribution and production process. When oil is not available, there would be an increase costs on agribusiness as there would be an increasing prices of pesticides and fertilizers, which would result to increase of food prices. Lack of oil would result to small farming communities, as many would lack resources that augment better farming. As discussed by Nakaya (12) indicates that, most of farming activities heavily depend on oil for better harvest, efficient marketing, and distribution. Lack of oil would lead to poor farming and many farmers would fail to meet their expectations. To Miller (25), agriculture is best appealing when there is efficient marketing and transporting at affordable prices. Resourceful transportation is indispensable for successful agricultural marketing. As mentioned, lack of oil would result to poor transportation and thus, farmers will be disadvantaged when selling their crops. Expensive services would lead to small farming due to the net profit acquired from the investment. Still, unavailability of oil would cause impassable, infrequent, and slow transport services and this would lead to losses of crops such as fresh vegetable, milk, or tea. There would be low investment on farming, as many farmers would suffer losses. According to McCage (19), the nature of transportation strongly influences the pattern of global business. Trade is usually chocked off by poor transport and in turn affected by underlying factors such as geographical barriers and distance. Oil is fundamental in transportation and its unavailability would deteriorate economic growth. Air transport that heavily depends on oil would responsibly reduce international trading, as traders would lack means to transport commodities. This would have effect on development as many countries would not have the opportunity to trade with other countries. There would be geographical barriers, as many would lack means of transportation. From the above assumption, one can argue that much of transportation depends on oil and therefore its unavailability may deteriorate transportation. Although there may be substitutes, they may not be in quantities needed to maintain the road system (Ross 19). Rose continues to argue that, the world would revert to the way it was when oil was an unavailable resource and there would be no more global businesses due to poor transportation. Without oil, a modern civilization would be compromised even after innovating alternative source of energy and more efficient cars. It would result high transport cost that in turn lead to high standard of living. There would be delay in transportation, as most would depend on traditional transportation due to high prices of other alternative solutions such as electric cars and vehicles that operates on natural gas. It would be complex to use other substitutes, as most of them require oil in extraction. For examples, although electricity is mostly generated from coal, it cannot be extracted without diesel. This implies that cooling and heating homes would become more complicated even after switching to renewable energy. There would be no more office places as most machines utilize oil in their operation. Almost every office machines operates or is manufactured from oil. In the modern world, the use of machine has become fundamental for efficient running of offices. Lack of office machines would bring the following disadvantages. First, there would be high cost of operation since machines helps in reducing the cost. Secondly, it would increases loss thereby resulting to low dividend to the shareholders and thirdly, there would be no more maintenance of records. Fourthly, it would facilitate poor communication thus increase chances of poor services. Fifthly, there would be high chances of frauds and errors as most machines enhance accurate records. Lastly, office work would become more arduous and strenuous since the use of machines makes office work easier. Following this discussion, Maugeri (5) argues that, the world would revert to the way it was when there were no more office places. Everything would be local particularly in cooking, as many homes would be with wood burning stoves. The idea of wood burning stove would become common and those that want to create a sustaining heat source would have trouble in installation. While the modern options like gas, electricity cookers requires one to flip and switch, wood burning stoves needs one to consistently add wood chunks to maintain heat. Many would complain of lots of residue and ashes that wood burning leaves along with environment effect on excessive emissions. There would be time wastage in preparation as compared to the modern options that requires oil to operate. Arguably, many medical utilities need oil during manufacturing, transportation, and operation. Therefore, a world without oil would result to poor medication, as there would be inadequate machines that boost quality health care delivery. To Miller (15), there would lack appropriate equipment to manage emergency cases in a well-timed manner. As a result, this would increase mortality because of inadequate and inappropriate medication. Oil is paramount in our lives and hospitals cannot operate without it. A world without oil would lead to lack of medical equipment made from oil. These include allergy medication, inhalers, first aid kits, band aids, lancets, latex gloves, prescription bottles, glycerine, surgical tape, antiseptics, sunglasses and eyeglasses, oxygen masks, vaporizers, and artificial limbs among others. According to McCage (10), Health Information Technology greatly relies on oil for maintenance and manufacturing. For example, manufacturing of computers requires oil therefore, we cannot realise the profound benefits of computers without oil. Overall, computers have brought numerous benefits in the society and mostly in the health sector. Computers have improved the quality of health as well as reduce costs. Computer system has ease filing system as records can be kept in the computer thus solving clinical problems. In the health sector, the computer system has not only benefited hospitals but also the wellbeing of patients. With this regard, lack of oil would result to unavailability of computers that play fundamental roles in the modern society. Without computers, the world would revert to the days when most people died due to lack of medical monitoring. Doctors would not perform delicate procedures, as there would be no operation systems supporting precise medical operations. As mentioned earlier, everything would be local without oil. Engineers and architectures would toil when building homes since there would lack materials that attributes to a successful construction. It is worth noting that, most construction materials are made from oil and unavailability of oil would result to poor construction. The list of materials either made or use oil include electric saw, polyurethane stain, paint, paintbrushes, water pipes, glue, spray paint, roofing material, sockets, toilet seats, floor wax, and propane among others. Lastly, lack of oil would affect kitchen and household department since most equipment are made from oil. These equipment include candles, vacuum bottles, fabric softeners, plastic containers, refrigerators shelves, dish drainers, and baggies among others. Irrefutably, lack of oil would affect every industry, technology, business, home, and every individual. Oil enhances development and without it, a nation cannot function effectively. In affirmation, Nakaya (22), oil drilling must be done to obtain oil deposits. Oil drilling offers a number of benefits such as employment opportunities, improve the economy, and creation of better infrastructures. Normally, oil drilling creates job opportunities in the drilling sites. A world without oil would decrease employment rates, as it would eradicate job opportunities in the oil drilling, refining and transportation industries. Oil is a vital commodity in the world that boost economy. Unavailability of oil would therefore, mean poor standards of living in the World. Lastly, oil drilling results to better infrastructures in the process of distribution and refining the oil products. Therefore, lack of oil would lead to poor infrastructure which would highly impact on economic growth. Conclusion Quintessentially, this paper lays an outline of what a world without oil would be. Indeed, there would kales as the modern world heavily depends on oil for development. This essay indicates that, the world would revert to the way it was when oil was not available. As argued in the paper, everything would turn become more traditional and ineffective. There would be small farming communities, no more international businesses, homes would have wood burning stoves, and there would be no more office places. This is because oil is valuable in improving lives and standards of living. Ideally, the modern world would not benefit from the advanced technology that improves results and work performed. As discussed in this paper, there would be loss of lives as hospitals would lack equipment that save lives and respond effectively during emergency cases. Transport sector would be affected and in turn would affect trading sector both locally and internationally. The society would not replace their oil based infrastructures with new sources of energy in that most of them require oil in extraction. Indeed, the world would be revert to the traditional and cumbersome ways of life. To this point, one can obviously affirm that oil is vital for development as it enhances development, create job opportunities, improve the economy, increase energy security, and create better infrastructures as explored in this paper. Works Cited Maugeri, Leonardo. Beyond the Age of Oil: The Myths, Realities, and Future of Fossil Fuels and Their Alternatives. Santa Barbara, Calif: Praeger, 2010. Print. McCage, Crystal. Oil. Detroit, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2007. Print. Miller, Debra. Oil. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Print. Nakaya, Andrea. Oil. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Print. Ross, Michael. The Oil Curse: How Petroleum Wealth Shapes the Development of Nations. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2012. Print. Read More