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Fossil Fuels: Oil
Oil or petroleum is a non-renewable fossil fuel formed from the decayed remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. The word "petroleum" means "rock oil" or "oil from the earth".
After crude oil is removed from the earth and taken to the oil refinery it is processed into gasoline, diesel fuel, heavy fuel oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), jet fuel and other products such as ink, plastics, crayons, bubble gum, dishwashing liquids, deodorant, tires and ammonia.
The world's top five crude oil-producing countries are: Saudi Arabia, Russia, United States, Iran and China. Over one-fourth of the crude oil produced in the United States is produced offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.
Oil drilling, refining, transportation, and use as energy have many environmental concerns including air, land and water pollution. Petroleum leaks can have devastating effects on wildlife. Also at issue is the concept of peak oil. U.S. oil peaked in 1970 and today the US produces less than half the daily volume of oil that it produced in 1970. Most other major oil producing areas of the world have also peaked and their production is declining. Many experts believe that world oil production will peak in the next ten years.
With the major environmental concerns and declining supply it is important that the world find a cleaner, renewable substitute for oil.
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