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Concept
Environmental impact of the petroleum industry
Summary
The environmental impact of the petroleum industry is extensive and expansive due to petroleum having many uses.
Crude oil and natural gas are primary energy and raw material sources that enable numerous aspects of modern daily life and the world economy.
Their supply has grown quickly over the last 150 years to meet the demands of the rapidly increasing human population, creativity, knowledge, and consumerism.
Substantial quantities of toxic and non-toxic waste are generated during the extraction, refinement, and transportation stages of oil and gas.
Some industry by-products, such as volatile organic compounds, nitrogen & sulfur compounds, and spilled oil can pollute the air, water and soil at levels that are harmful to life, when improperly managed.
Climate warming, ocean acidification, and sea level rise are global changes enhanced by the industry's emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide () and methane, and micro-particulate aerosols like black carbon.
Among all human activities, fossil fuel combustion is the largest contributor to the ongoing buildup of carbon in the earth's biosphere.
The International Energy Agency and others report that oil & gas use comprises over 55% (18 Billion Tons) of the recorded 32.8 Billion Tons (BT) of released into the atmosphere from all energy sources in year 2017.
Coal use comprised most of the remaining 45%. Total emissions continue to rise nearly every year: from 1.7% to 33.1 BT in 2018.
Through its operations, the petroleum industry directly contributed about 8% (2.7 BT) of the 32.8 BT in 2017.
Also, due to its intentional and other releases of natural gas, the industry directly contributed at least 79 Million Tons of methane (2.4 BT CO2-equivalent) that same year; an amount equal to about 14% of all known anthropogenic and natural emissions of the potent warming gas.
Along with fuels like gasoline and liquified natural gas, petroleum enables many consumer chemicals and products, such as fertilizers and plastics.
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