World Environment Day - Many Species, One Planet, One Future

Here's a small speech I had written and delivered to my colleagues on the occasion of World Environment Day (5th June 2010). Thought I'd post it here as well:

(Salutations) The point I’d like to highlight today on this occasion of WED is the dependence of humans on mineral oil. This may sound ironical, as an engineer working for an Oil & Gas company is talking about reduced dependence on the conventional source of energy, but it’s the bitter truth and we’re at such a stage that we can’t ignore it.

The wonderfully balanced ecosystems are a gift to mankind, and unfortunately, we’ve taken them for granted since beginning. Oil has been the major source of energy ever since it was first drilled and also the major source of pollution. Now that our generation realizes the damage we’ve caused, and its effects on the environment, and the ecosystems around, we’re, at this stage, so much dependent on Oil, the way it has improved our standard of life at such reasonable rates, that we’ve become addicted to it. We know it’s bad yet we can’t let go off it.

The world has already consumed 1 trillion barrels of oil ever since oil was found in 1850’s. Sources say there’s still 1 to 2 trillion barrels of oil, but it won’t last as long as the previous 1 trillion did. Because of growing population, because of developing countries like India and China. We are growing rapidly, and we’re power hungry. Our middle class is rising up in terms of quality of life. Experts have warned that the world oil production has peaked already, and now, there shall only be a decline in the production in the days to come.

The previous one trillion was easily available in low depths, it was not very impure. Hence it was cheap to produce. Now, in the coming few years, oil won’t be cheap. It is said that the next world war will be fought over oil. Powerful nations who depend on imported oil will start waging wars, US for example. US consumption of oil is 20 million barrels per day, way more than any other countries, and although they themselves urge other nations to reduce their carbon foot-prints, they themselves can’t do the same, just ‘cos they’re addicted to the quality of life it offers.

When OPEC created an artificial oil shortage in the world in 70’s, America was literally shut down. And the country went into a mess. But the country that rose out of the situation was Brazil. They said, "What is that we have in abundance, if not oil?" And the answer was sugarcane. So they started using their massive production of sugarcane to produce ethanol. And today, all the cars out there run on ethanol. There’s 80-85% ethanol and 10-15% petroleum based products. They’ve saved billions of dollars every year as their oil import is very low.

We should try not to become like the US, but like Brazil. Let’s eradicate our dependence on oil thoroughly. Let’s wake up before it’s too late. The point I want to highlight here is, that Oil can’t be taken for granted. And we’ve to reduce our dependence on it in our own ways. This will have a combined good effect.

1) We’ll be doing a HUGE favour to the environment by reducing carbon footprints in our own ways. We’re at such a delicate point that even if we start conservation efforts, we’ll still not be able to restore the environment to what it used to be 150 years ago, but we can definitely take it back a few years and maintain it at the same level for our coming generation.

2) By not being so dependent on oil , we’ll be prepared to face the day to come where Oil shall not be easily available or affordable; and we will have no options but to think of other alternatives to support our lifestyle

It’s not like the oil is coming to an end tomorrow itself. But nobody can exactly predict when shall this happen, and we should be aware of the current situation before the repercussions of our habits become catastrophic.