Hobbs, Larry. (2021, July 31). Section 6 separated from Golden Ray; oil discharged from the ship. The Brunswick News, pp. 1–3. From https://thebrunswicknews.com/breaking/section-6-separated-from-golden-ray-oil-discharged-from-ship/article_2409adb7-13a5-5ff6-a315-59ea8f677629.html

In BRUNSWICK, Georgia, the Cargo ship known as the Golden Ray sank almost two years ago from today. Since then, workers are still trying to remove the massive ship off of the coast of Georgia. Unfortunately in the removal of the section 6 (ship is split into sections for removal) part of the ship, large amounts of oil leaked through the ship and into the ocean. The ocean shores have darkened which appears to look like an “ink blotter” of oil on the surface of the water. Because of this,  the Coastal Health District is urging swimmers and recreational fishers to stay away from the water as the oil can cause immense damage to your skin.  

This article demonstrates how destructive oil is to our environment. Not only do we use oil to pollute the air we breathe, but it also can pollute our very own oceans with mistakes like these.  The entire Georgia coast has completely shut down with the ocean surface looking more dark than blue. The worst part is to think about the wildlife living in those parts of the ocean and to have their whole habitat destroyed. In addition, the amount of chemicals from the oil is very harmful toward the health of these animals in the ocean. It is very shocking how this story is being depicted as a daily occurrence which summarizes lack of care for our environment. 

Kumar, Devika. K. (2021,  July 30). Oil climbs, notches fourth monthly gain on growing demand. Reuter’s, pp. 1–3.  From https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oil-falls-heads-strong-weekly-gain-demand-growth-2021-07-30/

Following the Pandemic, the prices of oil have seen to be increasing dramatically. For the fourth month this year, the leading internationally traded crude oil, Brent, has seen a huge increase in their prices. In May of 2021, the highest price of crude oil was 70.05 dollars per barrel compared to 77.81 dollars per barrel in July. That’s over a 10 percent increase over the course of the last 2 months. This is in all of a resurgence of our demand for oil due to our country opening up again. In November/December, the range of prices was around 35-45 dollars per barrel compared to it being almost doubled now. In addition, prices are only going to rise even further before the pandemic due to the fact that they need to make up for last year’s fall.

This article illustrated the before and after effects of the post Pandemic. The difference between oil prices in last year’s fall compared to now is remarkable. It displays how big of a difference staying inside all day working at home compared to our normal daily life has on our consumption of oil. Oil or petroleum, has an additional impact on the environment as well as the economy being our leading source to global warming. That being said, I think the use of less oil is actually one of the bright sides of our Pandemic. Less people driving and using fossil fuels is one of the keys to decreasing the rising temperatures of global warming. Sadly, the article above presented the increase in oil prices which is detrimental to helping the cause of global warming.  

NPR KQED. (2021, August 19). A Federal Judge Has Thrown Out Approvals For a Major Oil Project in Alaska. Retrieved August 21, 2021, from https://www.npr.org/2021/08/19/1029223070/federal-judge-thrown-out-approvals-oil-project-alaska-conocophillips

A federal judge threw out Trump administration plans for a large oil project, due to the fact that the plan was flawed, and did not add mitigation measures to help polar bears. The company, ConocoPhillips, stated that they would review and “evaluate the options available regarding this project.” In October 2020, the U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt signed the record of decision that allowed ConocoPhillips to create three drill sites. It was stated that this decision would allow for a “significant contribution to keeping oil flowing.” 

It is significant that this decision for ConocoPhillips to establish drilling sites was thrown out, because of the negative environmental impacts that it imposed. The contract was lacking mitigation measures for the protection of species in Alaska, and these drilling sites may have been detrimental to the preservation of wildlife in Alaska’s North Slope. Nicole Whittington-Evans, Alaska program director for the Defenders of Wildlife stated that the decision was, “a win for our climate, for imperiled species like polar bears, and for the local residents whose concerns have been ignored.” This shows how important it is that we begin to take steps in the right direction towards protecting our environment, because it is the only one that we have, and we need to preserve it. 

Bloomberg. (2021, July 13). U.S. Oil Consumption Surging With Industry Firing at Full Blast. Retrieved August 9, 2021, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-13/u-s-oil-consumption-surging-with-industry-firing-at-full-blast

While the U.S. recovers from the affects of a pandemic, oil demand is increasing drastically. The return of U.S. oil consumption comes with jet fuel use 24% below July 2019, which suggests that when air travel normalizes we may see prices increase. Additionally, propane use surged while Americans were stuck at home during the pandemic, and grilling more than ever before. The combination of effects from COVID have led to a large increase in oil demand and price, which may lead to a surge in the demand for harvesting oil. 

Since we are currently recovering from the effects of COVID, people are beginning to return to their normal lives. In turn, this is generating a larger increase in the demand for oil and petroleum products. One example of this, is that in the week leading up to the fourth of July, the weekly gasoline supplied reached a record in EIA data. The amount of diesel supplied was at 4.07 million barrels per day, the highest since 2017. While the need for oil begins to return after the pandemic, so will the need for harvesting oil, and while the increase of harvesting oil continues, so will environmental damage. Ultimately, an increase in demand for oil and petroleum products may have negative effects on the environment. 

The Guardian. (2021, June 30). Big oil and gas kept a dirty secret for decades. Now they may pay the price. Retrieved August 9, 2021, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/30/climate-crimes-oil-and-gas-environment

A wave of lawsuits are hitting big oil companies, and aim to hold them accountable for their devastation of our environment caused by fossil fuels. Our country is experiencing an uptick in environmental issues, such as rising sea levels, “mega rains”, warmer waters, and so much more. These issues can be attributed to the oil industries lack of regard for our environment. More specifically, the decade long campaigns designed to deceit and suppress information from their own scientists about the dangers of fossil fuels. A draft United Nations report, warns that the consequences of the climate crisis will “fundamentally reshape life on Earth in the coming decades even if fossil fuel emissions are curbed.”

This article shows how big oil companies have been censoring their own scientists about the dangers of climate change for a decade, which has led to a multitude of environmental damages. It is important that the general public becomes aware of these issues, as we can work towards ending the damage that is being done. However, scientists say that even if we are able to curb fossil fuel emissions, the effects are irreversible, and will have consequences. Fortunately, U.S. cities are working to fight back against these companies and their actions, in order to stop this problem. One example is Imperial Beach, the poorest town in San Diego, which has been battling rising sea levels with little to no money to build protective barriers. They are accusing oil companies of creating a “public nuisance” by adding to the climate crisis. They are hoping to win enough money to build protective barriers. This is important, because if we continue to allow oil companies to get away with censoring scientists and damaging our environment, there will come a time when the damage to our environment is too severe to save. 

The Guardian. (2021, August 20). Oil firms made ‘false claims’ on blue hydrogen costs, says ex-lobby boss. Retrieved August 21,2021, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/aug/20/oil-firms-made-false-claims-on-blue-hydrogen-costs-says-ex-lobby-boss

Big oil companies have been creating false claims surrounding the cost of producing fossil fuel hydrogen to convince the Treasury to allow them to access billions in taxpayer dollars. Chris Jackson quit as chairman of a leading hydrogen association, because “he could no longer lead an industry association that included oil companies backing blue hydrogen projects, because the schemes were “not sustainable”, and “make no sense at all”.” Additionally, environmental groups are criticizing the government’s strategy for this sector, because they are considering blue and green hydrogen to have equal importance.

One key issue with the fact that our government is giving equal weight to blue and green hydrogen, is that green hydrogen has no negative impact on our environment, whereas blue hydrogen is made from natural gas, and the process of creating blue hydrogen has negative impacts on the environment. Both types of hydrogen are more expensive than traditional gas, which is why large oil companies are lying about the cost of production. This is a big issue, because if oil companies are lying to the government about the cost of producing blue hydrogen, they will receive billions in tax payer subsidies, even though they don’t need it. Unfortunately, oil companies taking advantage of tax payers, as well as harming the environment seems to be a recurring theme. It is important that we not only recognize the possible environmental issues posed by oil companies, but also the economic issues. 

NPR. (2021, June 8th). How Big Oil Companies are Promising a Low Carbon Future. Retrieved July 30, 2021, from, https://www.npr.org/2021/06/08/1002448099/big-oils-transition-3-takeaways-on-how-the-industry-is-and-isnt-going-green 

This article discusses oil companies plans or lack thereof to curve their carbon output in the future. It also mentions every oil company’s belief that the “decline of oil” will be slow as the population weans off oil and into more green options. Most interesting though, is the difference between US and foreign oil giants’ decisions on how to handle oil’s slow decline. The US opting to retain their current business model and put money towards carbon capture and other future technologies instead of changing their business model towards renewable energy.

It is laughable at how little oil companies care about the environment. It is shown in the article Exxon diverted 3 billion dollars to carbon capture technology, which seems like a lot, until you find out 93 billion dollars were put toward their current environment damaging business model. Unless large steps are taken by governments or the public population outside from the oil giants, it is clear that the oil business will have a slow and steady decline, although it is unlikely that the Earth will be able to handle such a slow decline without irreversible damage. I believe in the end oil companies solutions will lower their carbon footprint but in the end damage the environment in another way. I feel the best solution for big oil companies would be to buy out a greener company and merge with themselves in order to start their trek into green energy.

US News. (2021, May 26), 7 Best Oil Stocks to Buy, 

Retrieved July 30, 2021,from https://money.usnews.com/investing/investing-101/slideshows/best-oil-stocks-to-buy 

This article discusses which oil companies traded on the NYSE will be good to invest in, in 2021. Out of the 7 companies listed 6 were imaged with gasoline pump stations while one showed an oil rig digging for oil. The article mentioned how the expected increase in demand for oil should be beneficial to the investor looking for gains in their portfolio. Secondly, the article mentions the high unlikelihood that oil and fossil fuels will be eliminated as the world’s main source of energy in the near future, reasoning why oil is still a good investment.

My opinion on this article is that the oil business in general is open and blatant about their harm to the environment but knows that its resources are needed for the modern world to function. This article also makes me think about the ethicacy of investing in oil companies, and whether it is harmful to the environment to do so. The sad truth is that whether I personally were to invest in oil, or not, the business would continue, and if oil companies are doing well it begs the question, is it so wrong for me to make money off the business as well? I personally would not judge someone for investing in oil, but I believe it is unethical because by driving stock prices on oil higher it increases demand for the product, and you therefore, indirectly put more smog into the air.

Reuters. (2021, July 7th). U.S. 2021 crude output to decline less than previously forecast, EIA says.

Retrieved July 29, 2021, from, https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-crude-output-decline-less-than-previously-forecast-2021-eia-2021-07-07/ 

Consumption of liquid fuel is expected to rise throughout the year as well as global oil production. The demand for oil has caused a deficit in available oil for consumption causing a decline in the expected output for oil barrels. The demand for oil has driven an increase in the amount of drilling by US oil companies in order to meet the demand. Also, the amount of oil rigs set up in the US has increased to meet the need.

The main opinion I came away with from this article is that the increase in drilling and drilling set ups will damage more ecosystems and cause more smog in the air. It is also interesting to me that every article I found only talks about the business side of oil and how its resurgence with the reopening of the economy is good for business. Although every article fails to mention the consequences the increase in oil consumption will have on the environment. Also with more American output of oil it will cause more domestic smog and carbon footprint in the US.