Essay 8: Exploring Undiscovered Areas for Oil and Gas
With the increase in global demand for oil and gas, undiscovered areas of the world should be opened up to access more resources. To what extent do you agree?
The extensive developments in the industrial and automobile sectors have put immense strain on the available fossil fuels like oil and natural gas, leading many to argue in favor of opening new areas for the discovery of additional reserves to meet the increasing demand. However, I am in staunch disagreement with this view because neither such a measure is commercially viable, nor environment friendly.
The conventional sources of energy are a limited resource and are eventually going to run out. Therefore, it is imperative that countries invest in alternative sources of energy such as wind and solar power, which are not only cheap but also in abundance. A single solar panel of 300 volts, for instance, costs roughly $50; and can power 3 fans and 6 bulbs during the day hours, for its entire lifetime (averaged 30 years). In contrast, the one month cost of electricity produced from oil for the same utility is over $200.
Additionally, the burning of fossil fuels releases numerous greenhouse gases, and over the years has led to a cumulative effect known as “Global Warming”. The increased ambient temperature has melted many glaciers and destroyed an even greater number of habitats of wild animals, leading to the extinction of many animal and plant species, alike. Humans are not spared either, with the number of heat strokes greater than ever before; and the decline in agricultural yield creating a food crisis. If the practice of using oil and gas for all energy is curtailed soon enough, it is inevitable that the living beings on earth would face irremediable consequences.
To conclude, I completely disagree with the idea of finding new sites of gas and oil in unexplored areas of the earth to meet the burgeoning requirements, as there are some cost-effective and environment-friendly substitutes available.
