There are many things that we use in our day to day and we are not aware that we are doing it, or although we are aware we do not know exactly what they are. This may be the case for Petroleum, a liquid from which gasoline is derived, something you probably use regularly if you have an internal combustion car. However, despite being something that is so close to us, many people do not know exactly what oil is, where it comes from or why it pollutes so much. In this article we will explain all these issues so that you are clear about what it is.
What is oil?
Petroleum is a liquid that results from the mixture of organic compounds, especially hydrocarbons (carbon and hydrogen atoms). This liquid is found inside the Earth, specifically in sedimentary rocks and is produced by decomposition of organic matter, that is, by animal or vegetable remains that lived in the seas, lagoons or rivers in the past.
The oil can be green, yellow, brown or black color depending on its composition. Their Its density is similar to that of oil, it is flammable and has a very characteristic odour.
What does oil have to do with cars?
As we have explained before, gasoline is a derivative of oil, just like diesel, so currently those who have an internal combustion car will need oil to be able to move. Both fuels are obtained thanks to the distillation of crude oil.
For this reason, the prices of gasoline and diesel have risen so much. Oil is the main source of energy right now in our society and is a fundamental source of raw material for oil derivatives, such as gasoline. One of the main oil producing countries is Russia, in fact, it produces 10% of the planet’s oil.
As we all know, Russia is currently at war with Ukraine, and this conflict has made Brent oil has reached all-time highs. Although in Spain we only depend on 5% of the oil from Russia, the price is still high since the price of a barrel of Brent has been increasing since April 2020, it is clear that Gasoline will have to increase in price.
These things are what lead many to think that it is better to buy an electric car. But of course, it has other negative things.
Gasoline and diesel are fuels derived from petroleum. What disadvantages does oil have?
The government wants us to go over to the electric car side and stop relying on oil-derived fuels. And it is that oil has several negative things, such as:
- The first of all is that oil is a resource nonrenewable, we depend on the reserves that are in the earth, that is to say that at some point it will end.
- The oil pollutes a lot, for example, the combustion of this element emits greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, such as CO2.
- Also, we have probably all heard some news of a oil spill, ships that have spilled oil into the sea, something that has to be solved quickly since it adheres not only to rocks, but also to living beings or plants harming them because it is toxic. And since the sea is in continuous movement, it is not uncommon for oil to spread to other places, so it is necessary to intervene as soon as possible.
- Oil extraction is also a big pollution since to refine or extract it a lot of water is used, which when used in that process is contaminated.
- Oil is also used for make plastic, products that They are not recyclable or biodegradable. therefore, the accumulation of garbage on the planet increases.
- Another thing that oil influences is the wars between oil consuming countries and oil possessing countries. Although this is more the fault of the human being than of the oil itself.
As we can see, we have plenty of reasons to try to stop depending on this resource or at least reduce its consumption.
Liquefied petroleum gas
Image of Repsol, a Spanish company that distributes LPG as fuel. You may have also heard of liquefied petroleum gas or LPG, a type of alternative fuel. This fuel, as its name indicates, It is also derived from petroleum and is a mixture of propane and butane. Although it is a petroleum derivative like gasoline, in this case this fuel pollutes much less.
In fact, LPG emits 15% less CO2 and 80% less nitrogen oxides than gasoline. As we can see, it is much purer for the air, which means that cars that use this fuel can be given the DGT ECO label.
Right now, although LPG is also derived from oil, the effect of the war in Ukraine has not been as great as on gasoline or diesel. In fact, it’s cheaper because of the amount that is available and because the taxes on these fuels are lower than those on others.
However, even though it is cheaper and less polluting, it still has its drawbacks, for example that we continue to depend on oil or natural gas to obtain it and both resources are non-renewable. Also, performance is lower the engine has 5% to 10% less power and the consumption of this fuel is somewhat higher. Apart from that not all cars can use it, If we wanted, we could modify the engine to work with this fuel, but it can cost us a lot of money.
Therefore, although it may be a good short-term solution to replace those fuels that pollute the environment a lot and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, still not the ideal solution since it is not something that we are going to be able to use in the long term.
