| We've all seen the despairing footage of the gulf | | | | exploit the substance at alarming rates; justifying their |
| coast's smothered wildlife and watched helplessly as | | | | use with the competitive demands generated by |
| the region is decimated by mounting volumes of oil. | | | | commercial and consumer markets. |
| Americans are undoubtedly contemplating the | | | | Oil usage is not projected to improve and future |
| variables in this unfortunate catastrophe, wondering, | | | | disasters such as the one engulfing the southern coast |
| "What else could we have done to prevent this?" | | | | are bound to strike again. While many portions of the |
| While the spill itself is by all technical measures a result | | | | industrial sector choose to ignore this imminent truth for |
| of BP's oil well failure, it must be argued that an equal | | | | the gain of short-term financial returns, select |
| cause for the disaster lies in the sheer volume of oil | | | | manufacturers are making active strides to reduce the |
| encapsulated there prior to the malfunction. | | | | nation's oil dependence and promote environmentally |
| The mounting oil brewed within BP's wells is the result | | | | sustainable production processes. Located in |
| of an increasing societal dependence on the | | | | Lancaster, Pennsylvania, ECORE International has built |
| substance, caused by years of harboring its fuel for | | | | a thriving business out of finding creative ways to |
| both personal livelihood and industrial development. | | | | reduce, reuse, and recycle. As one small, privately |
| According to trends analyzed by the U.S. Energy | | | | owned manufacturing organization they conserve over |
| Information Administration's International Energy | | | | one million barrels of oil each year while recycling over |
| Outlook for 2010, worldwide consumption of liquid | | | | 80 million pounds of scrap tire rubber into products for |
| energy sources and petroleum has grown from less | | | | various commercial and industrial markets. The amount |
| than 150 quadrillion Btu in 1990 to nearly 175 quadrillion | | | | of energy saved each year, by this company alone, is |
| Btu in 2007. This trend is expected to continue, with a | | | | equivalent to the heating of over 600 homes. |
| projected rise in usage from 86.1 million barrels per day | | | | While it is discouraging that these conservation efforts |
| in 2007 to 92.1 million barrels in 2020. As a foundational | | | | are not being undertaken by the majority of the |
| component and crutch to economic and industrial | | | | industrial sector, those companies who have |
| development in the modern world, oil has become as | | | | embraced alternate production means remain |
| vital as water to American's health and livelihood. | | | | undeterred in their advocacy for change. The oil |
| Beyond the blatant consumption of the automobile and | | | | disaster continues to wreak havoc on the natural |
| fuel industries, manufacturers and industrial centers | | | | environment, while these companies fight to sustain it. |