One of all
country’s dreams is having abundant natural resources. How about oil? Oil means
money?
In “Oil
Sands Industry in Canada Tied to Higher Carcinogen Level”, Ian Austen says that
oil sands development of Alberta, Canada, has increased levels of cancer-causing
compounds in surrounding unexpected wider area according to Canadian
researchers’ report, where they reported the cancer-causing compounds in layers
of the sediment have been rising since large-scale oil sands production began
in 1978.
This is sad
news. Our natural environment has been destroyed for our convenience, but we
already knew this. We have been concerned the spreading reckless using limited
natural resources, environmental pollution, destruction of the ozone layer, the
global warming, etc. These things are caused by human’s thoughtless production
and consumption. I’m sorry that we live in the world where the consumption is a
type of virtue in the name of development. According to the rule of cause and
effect, after overuse our nature, we have to face the results. So, it’s sad news.
However,
drawing my attention is not the sadness to the bad news, but it is the oil
sands. What are the oil sands? It’s the first time I see the word. They are a
type of “unconventional petroleum deposit” (Oil sands, 2012). They have
recently been considered to be part of the world’s oil reserves because higher
oil prices and new technology enable profitable extraction and processing, and
are found in extreamly large amounts in Canada. Just before the reporting there was nothing proved harmfulness scientifically. Only
there have been concerns which have been raised concerning the negative impacts
on public health. I come to be a little bit more informed myself.
My mom
says that she feels sometimes the world changes too fast to catch. Now, I feel
like her. From now, I decide to pay more attention to the world.
__________
Reference
Oil sands. (2012, December 14). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:09, January 8, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oil_sands&oldid=527937485
For me, Energy is a controversial issue. We need more and more energy for the insufficient development. Most of our energy resource is non-renewable source like petroleum, and coal or renewable but less efficiency like wind, water and sun light. Moreover, nuclear plants for an alternative solution are not accepted to be safe enough in a careless country. I think if we still use energy with this irresponsible rate like this, even we can use a whole energy from sun, it still not enough.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, I think using any energy (electricity and water) just meet our basic need can lengthen our world's life.
i agree with Ob that energy is a controversial issue. I actually thought of throwing in my controversial idea last night after Katie published her thoughtful post, but decided to wait to give others a chance to respond first.
ReplyDeleteAnd now I don't have time!
It's 8:49, I've just finished my cream enhanced morning coffee and buttery omelette, and it's time to have a shower then rush out the front door.
But I have already done my minimum two daily blog comments, so that's OK. And I can come back this evening and write my real comment here.
And when is the convenient time, or times, for you to do your daily response blogging?
DeleteIt's much easier to do it daily if you make a habit of doing it at the same time. I like to blog while I'm having my morning and late afternoon coffee.
And you?
OK. Now it's 8:52. Definitely time to shower, dress and rush to AUA.
See you in an hour.
We know but cannot stop. We are already good at this convenient and comfortable waste. How can we do?
ReplyDeleteI found that it is hard to control using energy consciously. However, I believe that if we help to reduce using it even a little, but all together, it can be a large amount of energy we can safe.
DeleteMy possibly slightly controversial idea is that in fact human beings have, on the whole, made the world a much better place to live in, certainly for human beings.
DeleteBefore our recent rapid development, the natural world was nasty, violent, dangerous and not at all safe or pleasant for life. I would not survive very well outside of a city, which is totally unnatural, and much, much better than any any natural environment as a result. I don't like beaches, but I go, I insist on a nice hotel - the beach looks nice, but we wouldn't want to live or even stay there without the unnatural comforts and safety enhancements that make it so much better.
But energy is the key as Katie rightly points out. We need ever more energy to maintain the improvements we make on nature. I'm not sure that we can, or even should, reduce our energy use. A much better solution is find better, more enduring energy sources, which we can then use to make the natural environment even better.
I agree with you that this is a sad news that our technology, which we invent, destroy us. I saw this news in New York Times too, but I interested in "Hold butter" more.
ReplyDeleteSome our invention and technology always have both pros and cons. So we have to throughly consider before using it. Nobody hate the advantages of technology, but we have to find the way to deal with the side effect of impress technology that we like.
Might the solution me more technology?
DeleteEngland shortly after the Industrial Revolution was filthy with soot and gases from burning coal and other fossil fuels, and the Thames River flowing through London was dead. But when people worried about it, and as technology improved, the English environment got much cleaner, and fish returned to teh Thames.
I would rather have technology with new problems than the old pre-technology problems, which tended to kill human being much more quickly after a much less pleasant life.
And I think things are still getting better, even though there are some very real ecological, social and other problems to be solved or at least dealt with.
I sometimes remember how hard I had it when I was writing essays and theses are university - no computers with powerful word-processing programs: I was proud and thrilled when I could afford a good electric type-writer! (Does anyone today remember those antiques?) And not long before that, everything was written by hand! Almost the only time I write by hand these days is on a whiteboard, and you know what that looks like, and when I scribble my name on a credit card slip in Thailand, something that is no longer done in Australia, where everything is by PIN.
DeleteI'm all for the continued march of technology.