New Sources of Oil in Dispute

Imagine a time in which oil was so plentiful that it could even be found in the soil itself? Well that day has come. In Utah the soil may actually be used as an oil source due to the tar within it that can provide petroleum. The debate rages on over the ethics of the situation and whether this will lead to wilderness depression.

With everyone from the guy next door to politicians to companies all looking to reduce America’s reliance on foreign reserves of oil and the price per barrel on the rise with no decrease in sight, this option is looking more and more attraction.

If companies move forward with this plan it could be the largest production of petroleum from US soil on such a scale, ever. However, some worry that this is a shortsighted plan that will in the long run only lead to a greater problem at the expense of other natural resources.

Going forward with this project will dig up fragile topsoil, destroy thousand year old plateaus, and pollute groundwater streams in the area. If this allowed to occur, then how far behind this can the Marcellus shale projects proposed in Pennsylvania be behind it?

Unconventional oil has been eyed up as an alternative by industry for quite some time but has been largely considered non-viable economically until recently. The cheaper cost of oil from sands and soils as seen in Canada, as low as $20 per barrel as opposed to the $100 it currently stands at has persuaded some to consider this option, no matter the environmental expense.

Although suggestions such as these do have merit, they would only contribute about 2,000 barrels a day of the 19 million barrels the US consumes, making it an irrelevant plan to begin with. Once the costs and amount of water are taken into consideration it isn’t economically feasible in relation to what investments in conservation and alternative energy could renewable return each year.

At this point, this doesn’t seem like a good solution to the problem and would just make even worse problems for the United States. So the question now is, what else can we do that doesn’t destroy our environment that can actually make a difference?