1. Finite Times
We live on a planet with finite resources.
How much do you know about oil?
Oil comes from animals and plants that died under sea. The plants and
animals get buried under lots and lots of sand and mud. Over many millions
of years, heat and pressure turned dead plants and animals into oil. We
usually find oil in underground areas called Reservoirs.
People collect it by drilling deep holes underground to get the oil. They use
large pumps to get the oil out. The place where the oil flows up is called an
oil well. Derricks are built all over the oil wells to protect the tools and
pipes.
Once it has been gathered, it is been sent to a place called a refinery that
people have to clean and separate it into useful parts.
A Grade 4 Publication Summer 2013
How is oil collected & modified?
2. ;
Summer 2013
2
A Grade 4 Publication
Fast Facts
Why do we depend on the oil industry?
This is a very valuable resource because if we don’t have oil, we would
have no gasoline. We would have less electric power and we would have no
insect repellent.
Communities depend on this industry because it can be made into
clothing for people and fertilizers for farmers. We would also have no
shampoo. We would have no paint or ink for artists. In fact, we would have
no plastic! Can you imagine?
How could this resource be managed
better?
What is the impact of this industry?
This is industry is not sustainable because one day, oil
will run out and we are using oil faster than the Earth
produce it (which takes millions of years).
This industry also harms the environment because it
pollutes the air. Burning oil can also release 4 kinds of
dangerous chemicals: Carbon Dioxide which can make
global warming, Carbon Monoxide which is Poisonous to
humans, Sulfur Dioxide which causes acid rain and
Nitrogen Oxide which causes smog.
We could reduce our use of this resource by
recycling and using less plastic bottles. You could
drive less or walk if the distance is close. You can
even stop using disposable plastic bags and use
reusable bags.
Alternatively, we could use bicycles instead of
cars. We could use less energy. You can also
use less gasoline.
• The word
"petroleum"
translates as "rock
oil." It stems from
the Greek word
"Petra," meaning
rock, and the Latin
word "ileum,"
meaning oil.
• The U.S. is the
biggest consumer of
oil at over 19.5
million barrels a day.
• Oil was first
successfully drilled
in the U.S. in
Titusville,
Pennsylvania, in
1859.
