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Crude Oil: Black Gold or Black Menace?
With all the publicity nowadays surrounding the price of Crude Oil, I resolved to write an enlightening article on the backdrop of the so-called “Black Gold.” I’ll briefly go over history, environmental effects, pricing and the future of the thick black sludge that is coveted by every major economy in the world. Hopefully you can reach a better point of view on the subject.  The history of Crude Oil is too immense to discuss in this brief editorial so I will limit it to a general overview. The first oil wells were drilled in China in the 4th century. They where as much as 243 meters deep and were drilled utilizing drill bits attached to bamboo poles. The contemporary history of crude began in 1846, with the breakthrough of the process of refining kerosene from coal by Atlantic Canada’s Abraham Pineo Gesner. The first rock oil mine was built in Bobrka, Poland the following year. These breakthroughs rapidly spread around the world, and Meerzoeff built the first Russian refinery in the mature oil fields at Baku in 1861.  James Miller Williams in Oil Springs, Ontario, Canada in 1858, excavated the first commercial oil well drilled in North America. The American petroleum industry commenced with Edwin Drake’s discovery of oil in 1859, near Titusville, Pennsylvania. The industry matured slowly in the 1800s, driven by the demand for kerosene and oil lamps. It became a major national business in the early part of the 20th century. With the introduction of the internal combustion engine came a need that has largely sustained the industry to this day.  While we all need to get to work in some way or another, rarely does anyone consider the environmental effects of the fuel that powers our mode of transportation. Yes we know that the emissions from are cars, buses and trains have a green house effect on our delicate environment; but what about the rest of our ecology? Oil extraction is costly and occasionally environmentally detrimental, although Dr. John Hunt from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution revealed in a 1981 paper that over 70% of the reserves in the world are associated with visible macroseepages, and numerous oil fields are found due to natural leaks. Offshore exploration and extraction of oil agitates the encompassing marine environment. Exploration could call for dredging, which stirs up the sea bottom, stamping out the ocean plants that nautical creatures need to survive. Not to mention the typical Crude Oil and refined fuel spills from tanker ship accidents. All of these factors have tainted frail ecosystems all over the world. Petroleum products are priced like most commodities: supply and demand. While this may sound simple, the actual start to finish process can be a lot more complex subject. References to oil prices are generally related to the spot price of either WTI/Light Crude as traded on New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). Priced by the barrel, Crude Oil is rapidly becoming the most costly commodity on the market (second only to Gold). Oil pricing is extremely reliant on both its grade and location. The vast majority of oil will not be traded on an exchange but on an over-the-counter basis, typically with reference to a standard crude oil grade that is quoted via a pricing agency such as Argus Media Ltd or Platts. It is often claimed that OPEC arranges the oil price and the real monetary value of a barrel of oil is in the area of $2, which is equivalent to the cost of extraction of a barrel in the Middle East. These appraisals of costs disregard the cost of finding and developing oil reserves.  You can’t talk about the future of oil without talking about the “Hubbert Peak” oil theory. This hypothesis depicts the long-term rate of production of conventional oil and other fuels. It assumes that oil reserves are not replenishable. It also predicts that future world oil production must unavoidably reach a crest and then decline as these reserves are exhausted. Like every other theory of any importance it is highly controversial. “When will the Oil actually start to run out?” is the big question. No matter how you look at it, our society needs to concentrate more efforts on either alternative fuels or more fuel-efficient modes of transportation. While I’m sure that the oil won’t peter out in my life time I would like to think we can leave this world a better place for future generations. In closing, I hope this article has given you a better understanding of the topic and made you a more informed consumer. So the next time your grumbling at the price of gas, at least you’ll understand what you re complaining about. If you would like to read more on the topic of Crude Oil, you can vistit http://www.crudeoilrefineryhome.com/ or read one of the books listed at the end of this article.  Books about the petroleum industry: James Howard Kunstler (2005). The Long Emergency: Surviving the Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-first Century. Atlantic Monthly Press.  C.J. Campbell (2004). The Coming Oil Crisis.  Peter Odell (2004). Why Carbon Fuels Will Dominate the 21st Century’s Global Energy Economy. Multi Science.  Amory B. Lovins (2004). Winning the Oil Endgame. Rocky Mountain Institute.  Vaclav Smil (2003). Energy at the Crossroads : Global Perspectives and Uncertainties. The MIT Press.Stephen Nelson is a professional commodity trader that specializes in the energy market. http://www.crudeoilrefineryhome.com/
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Defensive Driving Tips On Vehicle Lane Changes
Lane changes can be one of the easiest maneuvers with a vehicle, and can be one of the hardest maneuvers at the same time. Changing lanes requires processing information and making a safe decision well in advance to make the maneuver a simple and safe task. The faster your speed is, the faster you have to process information, which in turn makes it a little more difficult. There are important defensive driving procedures you must do, before making a lane change. Look ahead and plan ahead. If you plan well in advance, the maneuver becomes a lot easier and safer. Checking your path ahead before you consider changing lanes is the number one priority. What traffic and pedestrians are doing ahead of you is the first step in processing information and making a decision. You must always check your path ahead for vehicle traffic changes, and controlled intersections that affect these changes. There are many potential hazards that you should be looking for. You have to be looking ahead for vehicles slowing down and possibly stopping in front of you, and making sure you?re on the look out for pedestrians that may step off the curb up ahead. Also checking for vehicles that may possibly come out in front of you, or from another merging lane. A good indication of what traffic and pedestrians are going to do ahead of you would be motorist signaling ahead of you with a signal and or brake lights. If their signaling to turn, they have to slow down and possibly stop for other traffic or pedestrians, depending on circumstances where they are turning. All this information is important, because it affects everybody in motion. While your checking your path ahead, you have to know what is happening behind you. If you use your rearview mirror all the time, you will always know what is happening around you. Using the rearview mirror, gives you a bigger picture than your side mirrors. Checking your rearview mirror should be done at a glance only. Your main concern is in front of you. When glancing at your rearview mirror, you should be glancing for traffic coming up faster than you, also vehicles signaling to change lanes behind you. They may be picking up speed to pass your vehicle. In order to make a safe lane change, you have to either slow down to let traffic get by you, or speed up to stay ahead of traffic, without going over the speed limit. If you?re doing the same speed as traffic behind you, they won?t catch up to you, unless you start braking. If traffic is doing the same speed, you should accelerate slightly to maneuver over to the other lane, unless there is a good reason not to. Once you know what is happening both ahead of you and behind your vehicle. The number three procedure is signaling to let traffic know your intentions on the direction you plan on maneuvering. The signaling procedure is for communicating to other drivers. If you signal and let other drivers know what you?re doing, they may slow down to let you make the safe lane change. Warning other vehicles of your intention to change lanes, include vehicles ahead of you and behind you. Drivers negotiating to maneuver out in front of you may stay where they are, if they see your signal to move over, possibly into the lane that they want to maneuver into. People do not always do what there suppose to do, so anticipate the worst. Take nothing for granted! It may be a safer lane change beyond traffic waiting to come out, if you have time. You also have to consider not surprising the vehicles close to your vehicle by signaling as they approach the corner side of your vehicle. They may panic and brake, thinking you?re moving over sooner. Wait until they are beside your vehicle and your signal is out of their sight before you signal to warn other traffic behind your vehicle. This seems like a lot of info for just a signal, but communicating with other drivers are important in defensive driving. After you have signaled and you know everything is clear ahead of you and behind. Take a quick glance over to your blind spot, and make sure there is nobody sitting along side your vehicle. Stay in your lane, if it is not safe. When you check your shoulder, it?s only supposed to be a glance. You still have one more important procedure before maneuvering into the other lane. Recheck the lane ahead of you, just before you turn the steering wheel to make sure nobody is stopping or coming out into your path. Once you have glanced over your shoulder and looked forward, gradually maneuver over right away with a slight adjustment of the steering wheel. Only if it?s safe! You do not want to be maneuvering over, if there is a vehicle stopping in front of you, or coming out in front of your intended path. If you cannot make the maneuver right after the shoulder check, cancel everything and start over. The worst scenario would be traveling an extra block in town. Do not make lane changes at intersections. Make sure lane changes are done before and after intersections. Intersections include any crossroad, side road, lane or street. Constantly planning well in advance and constantly using your mirrors, will help you become a better defensive driver. I hope these defensive driving tips help your goal in becoming a safe driver. For more information on this topic, please consult with a family member and a recognized Driving School on defensive driving techniques. Owned and operated a Driving School for several years. Taught over 2000 kids and adults how to drive. 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