Oil is a mineral made mainly of hydrogen and carbon. Oil can be a gas, a liquid or a solid. (newzeland.gov.nz, 2011) Oil comes from the Latin word “petra” meaning rock and “oleum” meaning oil. (American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 2013) Oil may be thick and dark like tar. It might even be as thin as water. (THE NEED PROJECT, 2013) Oil is a great source of energy today. Today oil produces forty percent of our energy. (Osakagas, 2013) We use it to produce gas for our vehicles. (THE PETROLEUM ZONE, 2013) Oil has a very high energy level. (Institute for Energy Research, 2013) Burning one gallon of gas produces nineteen pounds of carbon dioxide. (Energy-101.org, 2013) Petroleum is used in makeup. (THE NEED PROJECT, 2013) Oil is found at depths ranging from a few hundred feet to two or three kilometers. To find a place to extract oil, we need to look at the ground from the sky and test the ground to see if there is oil in that place. Holes are drilled and pipes are inserted into the ground until they hit the rock containing the oil. Once the oil is found and the pressure from the rock in the pipes is released, the oil flows out on its own. (Khanna, 2013) Eventually we will run out of oil, it will be when we do not make a profit from extracting it. Geologists suggest that in the coming decades we will run out of oil at the rate we are using it. How much oil we have left depends on how hard we want to work and how much we want to pay for it. Geologists think the United States will run out of oil in 50 years or by the end of this century and that the world will run out shortly after us. (Botkin, 2010) On average gas costs $3.70...... middle of paper...... 008) Drive less frequently. Walk, bike, use public transportation or telecommute if possible. If daily car use is a must, consider purchasing a hybrid. Consider alternatives to heating oil, such as natural gas, solar panels, EPA-approved wood stoves or geothermal heat pumps, that use the constant temperature of the earth as an exchange medium instead of the outside air temperature. (Finding Dulcinea Staff, 2008)Works Cited1. Botkin, D. (2010, 3 30). Environmental effects of oil. Retrieved from http://www.ftpress.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1573021&seqNum=112. National geographic. (2013, 10 25). hydroelectric energy. Retrieved from http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/idroelettrico-energia/?ar_a=13. Clean energy. (2013, 9 25). Hydroelectricity. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/affect/idro.html