Margaret Goldstein
338.2728 G578f
Every day,
people on Earth use about 90 million barrels of petroleum (oil and natural gas)
to fuel cars, buses, airplanes, farm equipment, and factories; to heat their
homes; and to manufacture detergents, paints, plastics, and countless other
products. To get that petroleum, oil and gas companies search all over the
planet--from northernmost Canada to deep under the ocean. Because it is such a
valuable commodity, petroleum has become known as black gold. And because of
global dependence on this natural resource, scholars say we are living in the
Age of Oil.
Alongside
its benefits, petroleum has serious drawbacks. It is not a renewable resource,
and many of Earth's most easily accessed petroleum deposits have been used up.
Companies have begun to search for oil in more difficult-to-reach places, using
controversial methods. Extracting, processing, and refining oil is often
environmentally destructive.
Oil spills
and other accidents can contaminate soil and water, kill wildlife, and make
people sick. On a larger scale, burning fossil fuels such as petroleum releases
large amounts of carbon dioxide into the air, leading to climate change. Even
as governments, activists, and researchers explore a wide range of conservation
measures and alternative fuel sources, the world continues to run on petroleum.
And the struggle to balance the pros and cons of this coveted resource will
play a decisive role in the planet's future.
(from publisher)
