page_title: Environmental impact of the petroleum industry
hierarchical_section_title: Environmental impact of the petroleum industry
caption_attribution_description: English: Oil spill
context_page_description: Petroleum has many uses, and the environmental impact of the petroleum industry is correspondingly extensive and expansive.
  Crude oil and natural gas are primary energy and raw material sources that enable numerous aspects of modern daily life and the world economy.
  Their supply has grown quickly over the last 150 years to meet the demands of rapidly increasing human population, creativity, and consumerism.
  Substantial quantities of toxic and non-toxic waste are generated during the extraction, refinement, and transportation stages of oil and gas.
  Some industry by-products, such as volatile organic compounds, nitrogen & sulfur compounds, and spilled oil can pollute air, water, and soil at levels that are harmful to life where improperly managed.Climate warming, ocean acidification, and sea level rise are global changes enhanced by the industry's emissions of greenhouse gases like methane and micro-particulate aerosols like black carbon.
  Among all human activities, fossil-fuel extraction is the largest contributor to the ongoing buildup of carbon compounds in the earth's biosphere.
context_section_description: Petroleum has many uses, and the environmental impact of the petroleum industry is correspondingly extensive and expansive.
  Crude oil and natural gas are primary energy and raw material sources that enable numerous aspects of modern daily life and the world economy.   
  Their supply has grown quickly over the last 150 years to meet the demands of rapidly increasing human population, creativity, and consumerism.     
  Substantial quantities of toxic and non-toxic waste are generated during the extraction, refinement, and transportation stages of oil and gas.
  Some industry by-products, such as volatile organic compounds, nitrogen & sulfur compounds, and spilled oil can pollute air, water, and soil at levels that are harmful to life where improperly managed.Climate warming, ocean acidification, and sea level rise are global changes enhanced by the industry's emissions of greenhouse gases like methane and micro-particulate aerosols like black carbon. 
  Among all human activities, fossil-fuel extraction is the largest contributor to the ongoing buildup of carbon compounds in the earth's biosphere.
  The International Energy Agency and others report that oil & gas use comprised over 55% (18 Billion Tons) of the record 32.8 Billion Tons (BT) of carbon dioxide (CO₂) released into the atmosphere from all energy sources during year 2017.Coal use comprised the remaining 45%.  Total emissions continue to rise nearly every year: up another 1.7% to 33.1 BT in year 2018.
  Through its own operations, the petroleum industry directly contributed about 8% (2.7 BT) of the 32.8 BT year 2017 total of CO₂ from fossil fuels.
  Also, due to its intentional and other releases of natural gas, the industry directly contributed at least 79 Million Tons  of methane (2.4 BT CO₂-equivalent) that same year; an amount equal to about 14% of all known anthropogenic and natural emissions of the potent warming gas.  Since the industrial age began circa 1750–1850 with growing wood and coal use, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide and methane have increased about 50% and 150%, respectively, above their relatively stable levels of the prior 800,000+ years.
  Each is currently increasing at a rate of about 1% every year, since about half of the added carbon is absorbed by the world's oceans.
  The acceleration is also so rapid that half of all emissions and buildup have occurred over just the past 30 years.
  Along with fuels like gasoline and liquified natural gas, petroleum enables many consumer chemicals and products, such as fertilizers and plastics.
  Most alternative technologies for energy generation, transportation, and storage can only be realized at this time because of its diverse usefulness.Conservation, efficiency, and minimizing waste impacts of petroleum products are effective industry and consumer actions toward achieving better environmental sustainability.
caption: A beach after an oil spill.
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