Chapter 17 Myth: Oil is Dirty

1. Chapter 17 Myth: Oil is Dirty Power Hungry by Robert Brice

2. Situation • Most common energy sources in developing world are biomass based (wood, straw, coal, charcoal). • Energy demands require vast areas of land to be used to create the biomass needed for energy production. • These biomass sources tend to be dirty creating airborne soot and releasing other noxious chemicals. • Harvesting of trees near Virunga National Park in Congo is seen as the largest threat to the park’s ecosystem.

3. Biofuels do More Harm than Good • In many western societies, biofuels are seen as an alternative to oil consumption. • The unseen costs of biofuel production can be seen in Indonesia where large areas of tropical forest have been removed to make way for palm oil plantations. • Because of this clearing, Indonesia was the third largest producer of carbon dioxide behind China and the U.S. according to a 2008 report.

4. Oil is the Answer • Clean burning fossil fuels can readily be used to replace biomass as the primary energy source for much of the developing world. • This would increase public health, quality of life, and life expectancy by reducing indoor air pollution. • Black carbon emissions, the second largest manmade contributor to climate change, would also be reduced.

5. References • Power Hungry, Robert Bryce, Public Affairs, 2010, New York New York.