The Impact of The Oil Industry on the World

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Since the beginning of all recorded history human beings have been dependent upon mother Earth to supply us with our needs. We have cultivated the earth for crop production as well as domesticated animals to better suit our needs; for labor and even for food itself. Sustainability was never in question and land, crops, and animals were always in plenty if taken into consideration. A simpler life where survival through food, shelter, water, and reproduction were all that mattered. However, through time things have changed. From hunter and gatherer sects to farming communities; from small towns to booming civilizations; maybe most importantly has been the change of ideology. We as a society have changed from a simple nature of self sustenance into a society of greed. Greed that is represented in the forms of money, power, land, and politics. The effects of this greed are devastating to the environment. Since sustainability doesn’t necessarily formulate into the ideology of those who are greedy it has been pushed to the side. This has resulted in the Earth’s resources to be exploited, stolen, and in some cases even have led to bloodshed; these things only leading to people being able to line their pockets more deeply. One main culprit of these “crimes” is the oil industry. The Oil Industry has existed since the early 1800’s. As The History Channel’s website states, it has been “an illuminant for medicine, and as grease for wagons and tools.” The first break for the oil industry was with the discovery of kerosene. John Austin, a New York merchant, had observed cheap and efficient oil lamp in his travels. Upon returning home he then manufactured them to be used on kerosene. Shortly after the United States oil business boomed as whale... ... middle of paper ... ...nd the destruction of the environment. On the other hand, most ironically, the industry can also provide for a drastic increase in the quality of life, in agricultural capabilities, and lastly oil has gotten the U.S. and other established, wealthy countries to where we are at now. In my opinion there are two serious problems that are facing our civilization and the Oil Industry. The first being that we have no other back-up plan once the oil is all used up. Secondly, and morally prevalent is the fact that some of these smaller countries can get completely ruined (socially and environmentally) by Oil Companies simply because of the lack of laws internationally. As well as the government will just about sell anything to become wealthy. What our future holds pertaining to this field is murky. It will be interesting to see what will happen in the next one-hundred years.

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