Hey everyone! Today, I’m going to talk about oil!
Oil is a super important resource hidden underground and at the bottom of the sea!
It’s a liquid mainly made up of carbon and hydrogen, and without it, our daily lives wouldn’t function at all!
So today, I’m going to explain how oil is made and how it’s used in a way that’s easy to understand!
1. How is oil made?
Oil, believe it or not, takes millions to hundreds of millions of years to form! Isn’t that amazing!?
It all starts with ancient animals and plants accumulating at the bottom of the sea, getting covered by soil and sand, and gradually getting buried deeper and deeper underground!
For example, plankton and fish that lived in the sea sink to the seabed, get compressed under high pressure, and transform under extremely high temperatures!
As a result, carbon and hydrogen combine to form oil and natural gas! Isn’t that exciting?
2. How is oil used?
Oil is used everywhere in our daily lives!
Of course, it’s an energy source, but it’s also super important as a raw material for chemical and industrial products!
Let’s see how it’s used specifically!
1. Fuel for cars and airplanes!
First, there’s gasoline and diesel that everyone knows about!
The gasoline needed to drive cars is actually made from oil!
Gasoline is super important for running car engines!
Diesel is also used as fuel for buses, trucks, and other large vehicles!
And don’t forget about airplanes!
Jet fuel for airplanes is also made from oil!
So, when we travel, oil is working hard in many places!
2. Plastic products!
Next is plastic!
The water bottles, pens, and smartphone cases we use every day are actually made from oil!
Plastic is light and durable, so it’s used in many places.
For example, the plastic bags we use when shopping at the supermarket are often made from oil!
Oil is really close to us in our daily lives!
3. Used for power generation too!
That’s not all!
Oil is also used to generate electricity!
It’s called thermal power generation, where oil is burned to create heat, which makes steam, and this steam turns a machine called a turbine to generate electricity!
In Japan, thermal power generation is a super important source of electricity!
3. How is oil extracted?
Since oil is hidden underground or at the bottom of the sea, extracting it is a bit challenging!
First, geologists find places where oil is likely to be, and then they use a big machine called a drilling rig to dig a hole!
Then, oil starts coming out of the ground! Isn’t that amazing!?
The extracted oil is collected in tanks and then transported to refineries where it’s turned into various products!
For example, gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and even the raw materials for plastic are all made at these refineries!
It’s like magic!
4. Oil and environmental issues
But we need to be careful when using oil.
That’s because burning oil releases carbon dioxide (CO₂)!
CO₂ is a type of greenhouse gas that causes the Earth’s temperature to rise.
This is what we often hear about as “global warming.”
For example, every time we drive a car and burn gasoline, CO₂ is released.
When CO₂ accumulates in the atmosphere, the whole Earth gets warmer, leading to problems like abnormal weather and rising sea levels.
So, it’s important for everyone to live eco-friendly lives!
And there can be accidents when extracting or transporting oil.
For example, if a tanker has an accident at sea, oil can spill into the ocean!
This is called an “oil spill,” and it can cause a lot of damage to marine life and fisheries.
That’s why we need to be careful about how we use oil!
5. We need alternative energy to oil!
Oil is super convenient, but it also has environmental impacts, so there’s a movement to use alternative energy sources instead of oil!
For example, solar power, wind power, and biomass are representative renewable energy sources!
These energies are environmentally friendly because they can be regenerated in nature!
For example, solar power generates electricity using sunlight without emitting CO₂! It’s a very clean energy!
Wind power also generates electricity by turning turbines with the power of the wind!
Both are environmentally friendly energies, unlike oil!
But since oil is still widely used, it seems difficult to switch to a life without oil immediately.
Even so, we should gradually incorporate renewable energy and aim for an environmentally friendly future!
6. Summary!
Oil is an amazing energy resource that’s essential for our daily lives!
From gasoline to plastic and even electricity, it’s used in many places!
But because of issues like global warming and environmental impacts (there are various opinions), it’s important to use oil wisely while also incorporating renewable energy!
Let’s all work together towards an eco-friendly future!
(Note)
Everyone, this text is an answer from asking AI!
But remember, AI’s answers aren’t always correct, so make sure to verify important information! Please!
Also, there’s support available! If you’re interested, please check it out!
Thank you for reading today!
