Oil: The Pursuit of Black Gold
by Melissa Kaelin
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As the price of light sweet crude oil continues to rise by the barrel, the search for alternative fuel sources is expanding.

The U.S. needs secure, affordable and sustainable energy resources. Oil, commonly referred to as black gold, affects almost every aspect of life in America, as it is used for manufacturing, farming and transporting staples, in plastic and metal production, even in the production of painkillers. The sheer production of a car requires 20 barrels of oil on average.

Developed countries are dependent on oil, and with the increased industrialization of China and India, the world's oil sources are expected to feel an increase in demand, with China's demand for oil increasing at a rate of 7.5 percent per year and India's demand increasing by 5.5 percent, according to the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security.

With such a high rate of increase in demand, and a limited number of oil reserves across the globe, it is important to find alternative sources of energy. Only about 6 percent of the world's accessible oil reserves reside in North America, with 66 percent of reserves lying in the Middle East.

The federal government in the U.S. made a calculated effort to subsidize alternative energy projects, after the implementation of E85, an biofuel mixture which is comprised of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. However, with fuel making up the largest use of ethanol, which is manufactured from corn, shortly after the U.S. began advocating E85, agriculture prices jumped and a global food shortage became a concern. Added to gasoline, ethanol reduces ozone formation and decreases harmful emissions, but the fuel is not as efficient as unleaded fuel and the heavier consumption makes up for the environmental advantages. An added problem with biofuels is the land acreage needed to produce them.

With the rising prices of energy and food, and increasing concerns about the human impact on global climate change, world leaders are desperately searching for an answer to the energy crisis. Even sustainable and renewable energy sources may lose their appeal in the harm they cause to the environment, however.

Coal is estimated to exist worldwide in the amount of more than 900 billion tons, enough to fuel the globe for about 150 years. The fossil fuel would cause incalculable harm to the environment, however, accelerating climate change.

Natural gas fields in Alaska, Siberia and the Middle East could sustain the world's energy for an estimated 20 years longer than oil reserves. Though it is cleaner than burning oil, it is expensive to extract and transport.

Combining hydrogen and oxygen chemically to produce electricity, water and heat via hydrogen fuel cells would provide the world with a permanent, renewable and clean energy source. However, hydrogen is already a precious commodity across the globe and it would be difficult to obtain enough hydrogen to produce the amount of energy which is needed. It would also be an expensive endeavor.

Natural renewable energy sources may be the answer, but the implementation of hydroelectric, solar power and wind power plants has been slow and expensive, and the demand for energy may exceed the amount of renewable energy a nation can produce.

Finally nuclear power through the use of uranium and thorium could provide enough energy to power the globe, but nuclear plants are very dangerous and more plants would increase the risk of nuclear disasters and pose security risks if power fell into the hands of terrorists.

While the outlook on alternative energy fuel sources is grim, world leaders from the 2008 U.S. presidential candidates to leaders attending the G-8 Summit in Japan are grasping for answers to this global problem. The future of energy is unclear, but one thing is certain. Oil will not last forever.