Thursday, May 13, 2010

Prevent Oil Overuse!!!!

Source: kilmerhouse

Our excessive oil use is causing us to suffer an oil crisis. Today in school I learned that we are overcoming the oil crisis we were going through and that we need to value this precious source. We must not take oil for granted because it is limited and if we continue to waste it, we might run out. The world relies on oil more than on any other substance. Machinery, product-packaging, vehicles and even food require oil in order to function. Instead of recycling and reusing items that contain oil in order to save it, people waste and overspend this natural source. In order to prevent another oil crisis, we need to take different actions and take care of our oil.



Source: mwcog

After heavy research and lectures, I became aware about the different effects we have on the environment for using its oil. I learned that we are leaving a carbon footprint in the Earth. Everything we do and all actions we take can either damage or help the environment. If we overuse the oil we are damaging the world. We must take care of our natural resources and use them with measure. In order to preserve the oil we have we need to start using energy efficient products. If we are not using all our electronics, we can plug them out and only turn them on when we are using them. People can also start taking care of their carbon footprint by recycling and reusing material around their community. Instead of using their vehicle for transportation every day, people can start carpooling or even taking the public transit. Those who inevitably need their vehicle for transportation can change their carbon-emitting car for a fuel-efficient one. This would be better for the people because the vehicle will not depend so much on gas, owners will save money and the oil will not be overused.

If people begin taking care of the oil, they will also be taking care of their money. With oil scarcity, everything becomes more expensive. The price on all goods is increasing because it is hard to distribute goods with the oil shortage. Gas is also becoming more expensive because this vital liquid is not as easy to obtain as it used to be. Therefore, if people begin taking care of their oil and stop spending more oil than they need, they will save money and will have oil for more years to come.

Source: belfattelegraph

I, for one, am trying to save oil and change my lifestyle for the Earth’s improvement. My family has changed the light bulbs in all the house lights. Instead of having the high voltage bulbs, we have the bulbs that save energy. We also make sure that if we are not using an electronic we unplug the plug. When we go out as a family, my dad makes sure that he takes the small four-cylinder car rather than the six-cylinder truck. The car wastes less gas per mile and is more efficient for the environment. I go walking to school and to any close area I go to. If my destination is too far for me to walk, I take the bus. I am also trying to grow fruits and vegetables in my backyard so that I can have fresh fruit without relying on the goods that come from areas far away from where I live. I am also trying to persuade my parents to buy from local farmer’s markets in order to prevent high demand on distribution. I know it is not easy to change one’s lifestyle in such a short time, but if we try walking instead of driving, that can really help the world. I am doing my part to save the world and its oil, are you?

A "Strategic" Solution or a "Strategic" Disaster?

Source: patagoniavolunteer
I do not know what to do. As part of president Obama’s administration, I find it really hard to believe that his solution can solve the oil crisis the state is suffering. His plan on spreading the oil and gas drill along the shore will only cause environmental and political effects for us. Environmentalists already consider the government responsible for the effects on the ecosystem. And his plan will only worsen our stance. Who will rely on a system that is not thinking about the ecology and is only thinking about money? I know we are in need of money but discarding our natural resources will only cause us greater harm. Not many agree with Obama but not many stand against him either. And now that I am taking a stand against him, I am afraid the other representatives will look down on me. What am I supposed to do? If we, as part of the government, do not find a solution to the oil crisis the people will blame us for the loss of such valuable resource, but if we take a chance and spread the drilling, the people will blame us for the loss of natural life. President Obama might lose popularity amongst the people. The drilling can cause deaths of those who work in the oil rigs. How many more deaths can the government have in their conscience? What should I do? I can not be against the drilling because it saves the economy, but people will criticize us all over the world. I guess we can decide on a better way to solve the economic issue without splitting families and without killing the natural habitats for our animals. Being part of the government is difficult and requires us to sacrifice some things in order to solve others. For now, what I am sure about is that we are doing everything we can to solve the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. The spreading of the oil and gas drills is still to be planned.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Economic Meltdown

Source: aolcdn

I can not believe this!! My neighbor, the richest man in my neighborhood just lost his job and has begun drinking to forget his sorrow and misfortune. It is a sad sight to see him upset and with a beer in his hand every time I get home from school. However, it has been about two weeks that I have not seen him drinking. I do not know if he is overcoming the sadness of being unemployed or if it is because the market in the corner closed down. The owner of the store told my dad that he found himself forced to closing down his market because he could not afford the produce he was selling. It cost him a lot to obtain the necessary items for him to sell and the prices of all the fruits, vegetables and other merchandise was increasing drastically. According to him, people were not buying anymore and he could not afford to lose the money he had invested. Therefore, he closed down the market and is selling the area. I had always thought the owner was wealthy because everyone in my neighborhood bought goods from there. Even I bought a lot from that store. Every time I got home from school, I went to the store and bought something to eat, but now, I am can not do that anymore. I am going to have to walk three blocks to the nearest liquor store.


I know the oil is becoming scarcer every day that passes by. This is why I am not taking oil for granted anymore and am taking care of the oil I consume. I started walking to and from school. By walking to and from school, I am saving some gas. I have also started buying organic food from my local grocery store. The grocery store is a couple of blocks away from my house so my mom and I walk to and from the store. I feel my leg muscle growing from all the walking I am doing. I am also trying to use less electricity than before. Electricity plays a major role in our every day lives but it too, comes from oil. In order to preserve our electricity, I make sure all electronics are unplugged and turned off when they are not needed. I don’t spend hours on the computer anymore either. I just turn it on when it is vital for me to use it. WOW, I amaze myself and how well I am doing without all my electronics.

Source: Citytransport

Elasticity is also important in this economic crisis and oil shortage. Instead of buying products that contain oil and are expensive, we can buy substitutes. For example, instead of buying produce that comes from Africa, we can buy fruit and vegetables that are organic and grown in our community garden. Or, even better, we can grow our own!! That would be a very interesting experience if everyone were to engage in it. Instead of driving to work, people can take the bus. This way less gas is used. There are some ways we can help the crisis we are going through. I, for one, am trying extremely hard to preserve the oil we still have. We need to take action and take care of our oil. Just as we helped the crisis start, we need to help stop it!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

I- WANT-FOOD!!!

Source: Sterlingtrucks

I just found out that this oil shortage can cause me my precious food. What will I do without my daily meals? I did not know that most of the foods I and the people around me consume are imported from different areas of the state and the world. The oil shortage is going to make me get on a diet. HOW HORRIBLE! I am soooo NOT willing to give up my food. How am I going to survive? I can not imagine my life without food. It is hard to imagine that one banana comes all the way from Guatemala. It travels more than 2000miles just to get to my local grocery store. If bananas were easy to obtain before, what is going to happen with the rest of the food? Will I have to start growing food in my mom's garden? Who will feed us at school? Doesn't that food come from the grocery store as well? Hmm….Does this mean the school will start charging us for healthy food? Or even worse, we won't be allowed to eat in order to preserve the food that we still have! Hmmm...I wonder if the school is allowed to do that.

Well, meanwhile, I know what to do. I am going to start shopping in my local organic grocery store. I am going to tell my mom to do the shopping at Erewhon Natural Foods located in 7660 Beverly Boulevard. This store sells everything and it is located here in Los Angeles. I am going to be able to buy local natural food without having to search for it throughout the entire city. I am going to start eating more fruits and vegetables and hopefully I do not miss the food I will no longer be able to attain. Well, I guess I might as well make the best out of the situation I am living in. Since there is nothing else I can do, I guess I’ll start watching my diet and eating healthy.

Source: Erewhonmarket

I heard that growing our own food can also help us in this food crisis. So far, my mom has many fruit plants in the garden. We already have two peach trees, tomatoes, lemons, plum tree, banana tree and an apple tree. I had never taken care of them, but now I water them daily and make sure that they are well. I can almost taste the peaches; big, round, sweet and juicy. This way we will have fruit even if the stores do not sell them anymore. I am ready for my Diet!!


Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Life Is H-A-R-D: HARD!!!

I had never thought about the fact that all flights and other transportation methods might be changed and cancelled due to the oil shortage. They will no longer be available to the public. What will the world do without transportation? I learned about this possible catastrophe barely today in class. People will no loner be able to visit their loved ones to the different parts of the world. Oh my GOD!! And I am barely realizing this: have you thought about the economic effect this will have?! If we are currently facing an economic crisis, imagine with the money shortage due to the lack of flights and transportation! The crisis will become worse. Thank god I am only a student. But this makes my summer boring. I will no longer be able to visit any other country. I won't be able to go on vacations with my friends. HOW BORING!!

I wonder, if the oil does become extinct, what will happen to the cars and trucks?I can not imagine my world without a car. I do not want to walk to school everyday. If I were to walk to school every day I would have to wake up VERY early. It takes me too long to get to school and I do not want to walk early in the morning through dangerous streets. I know, I can take the bus to school. Instead of walking to school, I can take the bus to school and walk back home. This way, I am helping by not using a car that needs gas. Buses provide transportation to the public. YES!! PERFECT! I found a way to keep the oil we still have not wasted.
Source: Saferoutetoschool

Well, it seems like it is time to take care of our oil. I will no longer waste any oil without it being necessary. I will tell my dad to not take me to school. I will take the bus or walk to school instead. It is time for a change! It is TIME FOR IMPROVEMENT!!!!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Demand and Supply

Today in class, we learned about the supply and demand in economics. I learned the difference between demand and supply. Demand is the capacity the people in a marketplace have to decide on buying an item at a certain price and they can and are willing to afford. Supply is the decision the people who want to sell something make in regards as in to what they want to sell and at what price.

We also took a quiz where I found out things I had no idea about. I thought the oil shortage was not as harsh as it is. I also did not know that the oil shortage has affected even the countries with the largest oil production. Saudi Arabia, Iran, US, Mexico, Norway and Venezuela were under the largest oil producers in 2005 until their luck changed in 2006. In 2006, these countries began showing a decline in oil production. I thought the richest countries were going to be the least affected by the oil shortage; however, I was wrong. =[ Even the richest countries are being affected by the oil shortage. the oil is declining everywhere and in all the areas-rich and poor. Even in this era where technology rules, we are doomed if the oil supply extinguishes. The world relies on oil and oil products more than anything. If we were left without any oil to use, what would happen to us? To our lives? I wonder if there is a way to retrieve the oil from underground when the oil production in an area no declines. We need to start taking care of the oil and not take it for granted because a world without oil is like a world without health-little by little we lose our vitality.



Source: BlogSpot

Friday, April 23, 2010

Oil Usage

During my Political Studies class, we watched a news report and read an article on the different oil uses. It is amazing how the world relies so much on oil and oil-products. Due to the news report and the article, I learned that 45% of all the oil in the US is used in gasoline for cars. I also learned that most, if not all, plastic-made objects contain oil. Oil is highly used throughout the world and in most of the artifacts in our every day lives. Oil is not just used in fuel for cars, but also in diesel fuel and jet fuel. Without oil, not only would the world be left without transportation, but also without airplanes and war equipment. Things that don't seem to contain oil use oil or petrochemicals. Petroleum is very important in our every day lives and we need it to maintain ourselves and our planet.











Source: blogspot

It is very interesting and amazing to realize that the world would not function as it has been functioning for various years if the oil reserves were extinct. Every single person in the world has contact with oil and petrochemicals without even realizing it. I had no idea that in order to preserve the food petrochemicals were added. Petrochemicals are used to keep the food from going to waste. WOW! Oil is used in gasoline and even in food! I can not imagine a world without petroleum. Such a world would be a catastrophe.









Source: zenithpumps