The debate over the impact of peak oil has been raging for decades. Although
few deny that the end of mass oil consumption is drawing nearer, educated estimates
now range between 2020 and 2030. But more important than the timeframe of peak
oil are its consequences. Some seek to spell the end of life as we know it,
so reliant is the world upon black gold. Others, equally extreme in their views,
embrace the news, looking forward to a time when humanity will magically clean
up its act. The truth is somewhere in the middle. Clean energy sources are
making major advances as they become cheaper and easier to implement while
almost all OEMs have launched lavish research programs into vehicles powered
by other means. But the consequences of peak oil are not to be underestimated.
Society would undergo a difficult time, given the sheer spread of oil on our
culture. Doomsday predictions of civilization having to survive without electricity,
or planes being grounded are one thing, but petroleum is a heavy component
of many more industries than that.
Agriculture
Industrialized
agriculture is a massive consumer of oil, for irrigation, for motorized
transport, and for something far more important. It is well-known that the
use of fertilizer unlocked the potential of mass agriculture, allowing for
the feeding of billions and virtually wiping out starvation and malnutrition
in the developed world. Fertilizer may only account for 20% of energy use
but it is arguably agriculture's most important component, after water. The
most common chemical mixture for fertilizers, known as the Haber-Bosch, mixes
nitrogen with hydrogen to form ammonia, with the hydrogen mostly being extracted
from oil. This would seem to indicate the end for such fertilizers once oil
resources begin to run out. Thankfully, there is an ongoing debate about
how bad this would be. Fertilizer
composition has shifted toward using natural gas, with methane used instead
of hydrogen. Until we run out of natural gas, it would seem that although
we might not be able to drive to McDonald's, we'll still be able to make
the burgers.
Plastics
In 2011, 2.7% of total petroleum consumption in the U.S. went into the making
of plastics. However, this represented liquid petroleum gases and natural gas
liquids since the U.S. no longer makes use of crude oil for plastics manufacturing.
The same is not true in other countries where oil and gas alike are used for
the fabrication of "nurdles",
made out of polystyrene. These small pellets are a form of pre-production plastic
that are made in their millions (27 million made in the U.S. annually alone)
before being carted off to numerous factories for molding into plastic parts.
Daily objects made from nurdles include plastic bottles, jars, cling film,
and food containers. While environmentalists have advocated the end of nurdles
and of oil use in plastic making, due to the environmental damage this can
cause, another reason is that 3 to 4 percent of global oil production goes
into plastics manufacturing.
Chemicals
10% of crude oil is refined to provide raw materials for the chemical industries,
but this helps to mask the staggering importance of our beloved crude to industries
we rely on every day. A full 80% of raw materials for cosmetics come from petroleum,
including the majority of components for all waxes,
perfumes, dyes, shaving creams, shampoos and conditioners. If you are among
those who prefer the "au naturel" look, you're still in trouble after oil peaks.
Glycerin, an important petrochemical byproduct, is a vital component to the
manufacturing of laundry and washing-up detergents.
Healthcare
The days of smearing crude oil directly onto wounds to heal them is thankfully
long gone. However, from war veterans seeking a replacement limb to young children
who run with scissors, crude oil still helps. Bandages and artificial arms
and legs alike, as well as glasses and heart valves, are made from petroleum-derived
products. The use of crude oil as a feedstock for pharmaceuticals makes companies
stand out like Bayer and Pfizer major oil consumers. Furthermore, healthcare
is doubly at risk, given its massive use of plastics for packaging, surgical
materials and other uses. In 2010 alone, 3.4 billion pounds of plastics were
used in the healthcare industry, meaning that an oil shortage would hit doctors
and patients alike very hard.
Homeopathy
Remember 123 words ago when we told you the days of smearing crude oil on
wounds was gone. Well, not quite. Amusingly, for all the anti-oil campaigning
that comes from the left, practitioners of homeopathy still distill petroleum
and claim that it can help cure anything from migraines
to eczema. Apparently, the distillation of crude petroleum and sulfuric
acid blended together can be a powerful remedy for psoriasis when spread over
sores or to help settle an upset stomach. While evidence of this is purely
circumstantial, perhaps the oil industry would be surprised to find unlikely
defenders coming to its aid.
Source: http://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/5-Indust...t-Peak-Oil.html
By Chris Dalby for target="_blank" Oilprice.com
