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Pros:
- easier to get out of the ground than coal (2)
- cheaper to transport than coal (2)
- easy to transport (2)
- still large sources available (1)
- Efficient (3)
- less pollution than coal when burned (3)
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Cons:
- Nonrenewable (1)
- Pollution from drilling, transportation, and burning (2)
- Great amounts have to be imported for US (2)
- rising costs all around (3)
Oil, a fossil fuel, is formed from the remains of marine plants and animals covered by mud and subjected to heat and pressure. It is usually found in underground reservoirs, discovered through studying the rock samples. A derrick is built on top the hole drilled to the reservoir and the drill will bring a steady flow to the surface.
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After drilling, it is sent to a refinery, where the crude oil is separated into different usable petroleum products:
- motor gasoline (19.6 gallons per 42 crude oil)
- diesel & heating oil (10 per 42)
- jet fuel (4 per 42)
- Heavy Fuel Oil (1.7 per 42)
- Liquefied Petroleum Gas (1.7 per 42)
- Other Products (7.6 per 42), includes: ink, crayons, bubble gum, dish washing liquids, deodorant, eyeglasses, records, tires, ammonia, and heart valves
Most of the products gained from this process are used to produce energy.
As with coal, the process of getting oil, drilling, can disturb the environment around the site. Oil spills can harm wildlife, and most of it comes not from crashed ships, which cause the biggest shock due to the amount released all at once, but natural oil seeps on the ocean floor or leaks from petroleum products on land. There are also oil leaks from storage tanks and pipelines. In addition, pollutants can escape refineries to pollute the air, so refineries and the government have to keep a careful watch that they at least meet the standard (although one would hope they could do better). When gasoline, diesel fuel, and heating oil are burned, they give off carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. In addition, petroleum products give off the pollutants carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and unburned hydrocarbons.
In order to reduce the damage caused by oil spills and leaks, items containing or carrying oil are being replaced with containers with a double-lining ("double-hull lining in the case of ships"). Likewise, just as with coal, scientist are working to make petroleum burn cleaner by changing the make-up to use less sulfur and to reduce the emissions cause when they are burned.
(1) Energy Information Administration
(2) Energy Resources: Fossil Fuels
(3) Oil Energy
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Looks like you have more pros than cons. Hmmm....interesting. We should prefer oil than coal right? But isn't there other alternative solution regarding this? Either way, oil still causes pollution at a scary rate right?
You know, I wish we use other renewable resources instead of oil. Although I do not think it would make thing any better. I saw on Disney Channel once that someone used milk to replace oil. lol That was funny.
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I'm pretty much just going through and doing a little digest on each of the energy sources - and the occasional remix if I feel like there should be something more said on a particular subject - and I decided to start with the fossil fuels.
In regards to pros v. cons, the question isn't the number, but the result of each one. Oil can cause pollution scares from accidental spills, but they are working to fix that. In the end, in my opinion, neither coal nor oil are particularly good to keep using in massive quantities due to the cons being that bad.