Middle Eastern Black Gold

The Middle East by far controls most of the oil production in the world and it is essential to the U.S. that they get most of this oil. Without oil the U.S. would be left defenseless and useless. Oil runs cars, planes, tanks, heating and military vehicles of different times. In the Middle East the main exporters are Saudi Arabia, Iran, United Arab Emirates and Iraq. Combined all these countries export about 19.79 million barrels a day; with Saudi Arabia contributing half of these barrels of oil. On the other hand, the United State is the top importer of oil with taking in more than Russia, India, China and Canada combined. The United States takes in more than 21 million barrels of oil a day. Oil is a resource that is vital to every country and its abundance on earth is decreasing. "Industrial nations desperate for fuel would aggressively pursue control of the remaining oil supplies, which would likely result in war." As the amount of oil gets less and less, it is probable that countries will go to war trying to get the last of that oil. The Middle East will also probably go to extreme lengths to protect that oil. Currently with the amount of oil decreasing, the price of it is going up. The current price of oil per gallon in the U.S. is about $4. The current price of oil per barrel is about $130.02 and still may increase in price. The United States tries to promote democracy in the Middle East, but at the same time they don't want to get involved because they want to continue to have access to oil. Rumors have been going around that the money given to Saudi Arabia for its oil is being used to fund terroristic activities and operations.

("The Energy Crisis." Is the World Heading Toward an Energy Crisis? Ed. Daniel A. Leone. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. At Issue. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 8 June 2011)

Economic Impact

As mention before, the price of oil is increasing and it is having an effect on the economy. In 2002 the price of oil per barrel was around $23 as compard to right now which is around $100. Residents of the United States have taken a notice to the changing prices . In 2002 the price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. was around $1.50 as compared to now where it is $4.00. Oil is like a drug to the U.S. and its addiction isn't getting any lower. During the late 1970's OPEC had issued an oil embargo towards the United States. As a result inflation had occured and gas prices had increased. "With Western countries like Britain, France and the Netherlands on Israel’s side as well, the conflict naturally grew to an enormous scale, and the Arabs responded in 1973 with a revolt against Western powers in the oil embargo." During this embargo the price of gas went up to around $4.15, which is close to todays price. I wonder what todays price would be if there would be an oil embargo. This embargo caused long lines at gas staions and had a toll on the economy. This embargo also influenced the United States to not chose sides in the Middle East because it could have a drastic affect on the the exportation of oil to the U.S.
http://cr.middlebury.edu/es/altenergylife/70's.htm

Need to get away from our bad habit

Energies such as solar, wind and water are all renewable sources of energy. These energies are very important to invest in because the amount of oil in the world is depleting. Oil is natural resource that can only be used once and it contribution to pollution is hazardous. The United States is currently using solar energy, but it could be more effective through more research and determination. Solar energy is taking the sun's light and harnessing that light in order to make energy. Currently the U.S has solar farms scattered around the country, which consist of rotating solar panels that follow the sun during daylight hours. Solar panels are very effective at capturing energy are cheap to make. Some limitations are its ability to only work when the sun is out and maintenance. Also particles in the air/pollution can divert the sun's rays and prevent from reaching the solar panels. If the U.S. were shift its habit of consuming oil to solar energy then this country would be cleaner and the addiction to oil wouldn't be as severe. http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=solar_home-basics


Wind is also a clean energy and a better choice than oil in the long run. Wind turbines are scatter all over the United States and off shores to generate electricity. Wind energy is more effective than solar energy because its only requirement is wind. These wind turbines are very effective because they need the wind to be at least 10 mph in order to function."Wind energy is also a source of clean, non-polluting, electricity." Wind energy is free and the turbines that use the wind are easy to manufacture. Unlike fossil fuel and nuclear power plants wind energy does not have a devastating effect on the environment. A switch to wind energy would be a great investment and the United States would stop spending a large portion of their money on oil. http://windeis.anl.gov/guide/basics/index.cfm


Energy produced by water may be the most effective in producing energy because its abundance is great and the ways to use it vary. Water energy is generated when the moving force of water generates energy to be used for future purposes. Some Structures that harness water energy are dams and pressurized pipes.  Hydro electric dams are extremely effective in generating energy because they can work with large amounts of water. Wherever there is moving water, air pressure can be created form it. The air pressure derived from the water can be used to move mechanical parts, which as a result can generate electricity. No waste at all is produced from water energy and once these structures are built, the energy is basically free. In conclusion, any three of these natural resources would be a better choice for the United States environmentally and economically. http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/hyhowworks.html