The Facts

• While oil has been an extremely useful commodity for many millennia, consumption has never been as intense as in the years around the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. According to the Environmental Literacy Council, the U.S. is the world's largest consumer of oil, accounting for almost 26 percent of global consumption in 2006. It is followed by the European Union with 18 percent.
  
  

History

• Although it has been taught in the past that petroleum came from the decomposition of dead dinosaurs and plant matter, this is incorrect. Its origins remain a topic of debate in the scientific community, but most agree that dinosaurs had nothing to do with making of this crude oil. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the organic material that is the source of most oil has probably been derived from single-celled planktonic plants. And that these simple organisms are known to have been in abundance long before the Paleozoic Era some 540,000,000 years ago.
  
  

Function

• People throughout history have had different uses for oil. In ancient times, it was used in asphalt as mortar for buildings and in tar used to pave roads. In more modern times, oil is commonly used to make plastics, which can found almost everywhere, and paraffin wax ,which can be found in pesticides and detergents; however, the principal use of petroleum is as a source of fuel and lubricating oils.
  
  

Benefits

• Since the beginning of the 20th century, human society has seen more change and advancement than in the previous 200 centuries, due in large part to the availability of the efficient supply of energy from petroleum. The use of petroleum has brought countless benefits to modern human civilization. The quality of life and level of prosperity is fueled by the precious resource.
  
  

Warning

• According to the Environmental Literacy Council, at the beginning of the 20th century, global oil output was about 150 million barrels of oil. As of 2002, that amount is extracted globally in just two days. While reaching "peak oil" (which is the point at which oil production will peak and the world would enter an energy crisis) is a major concern, another serious issue is the emission of greenhouse gases and their contribution to global climate change.