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Table of Contents
Introduction
Introduction
The oil industry is one of the greatest contributors to many threats we currently face including global warming, climate change, sea level rise, acid rain/ocean acidification, and species extinction.
Problems with Oil
Problems with Oil
Air Pollution
Air Pollution
Oil Refineries & Burning Release Mercury
Oil Refineries & Burning Release Mercury
"Oil refining emits and releases mercury, as oil deposits are known to contain mercury, generally at low concentrations. Mercury is removed from most petroleum products and natural gas prior to combustion, and therefore combustion-related emissions are low. Most of the mercury in crude oil is associated with solid waste that is disposed of in landfills. However, emissions and releases during refining of crude oil do occur and these have been quantified for the first time in the 2010 inventory. The inventory does not quantify other emissions and releases during oil and gas extraction and transport or from flaring.
Unintentional mercury emissions from these sectors can be reduced by the application of pollution control measures at power plants and industrial plants. Some of the mercury captured is refined and enters the commercial supply chain; however, large amounts of mercury captured in materials such as fly ash and oil refinery waste need to be disposed of. Some of the resulting wastes are themselves used as raw materials, for example in construction materials, but large amounts are disposed of in landfills, which can thus become a potential source of mercury emissions and releases. (GMA, 2013)
Mercury emissions to air, from oil and gas burning and refining account for around 2% of global emissions (GMA 2013).
Oil and gas extraction, transport, and processing is still however not yet quantified, globally." - Zero Mercury: Oil and Gas
Ocean Acidification
Ocean Acidification
Climate Change / Global Warming
Climate Change / Global Warming
Methane
Methane
"Oil and gas accounts for an estimated 20 to 25 percent of anthropogenic methane. Our analysis suggests that the sector could achieve a 40 percent reduction in sectoral emissions by 2030 and a 73 percent reduction by 2050. The oil and gas industry emits “fugitive methane” through venting, leaks, and incomplete combustion during flaring. Since methane is the primary constituent of natural gas, these emissions are an untapped source of value, contingent on the necessary infrastructure being put in place. Moreover, there are numerous options to prevent losses in upstream production, including LDAR, equipment electrification or replacement, instrument air systems, and vapor-recovery units." - McKinsey: Curbing Methane Emissions - How Five Industries Can Counter a Major Climate Threat
"Methane from human activity is emitted by five key industries: oil and gas, coal, agriculture, solid waste, and waste water."
Global methane from human activities, % share. 100% = 380 metric megatons of methane per year.
"Other" includes industry and vehicle transport emissions.
Sea Level Rise
Sea Level Rise
Health Consequences
Health Consequences
The oil industry poses many health risks to humans and wildlife. Spills can cause cancer and other health issues immediately and extending for decades after, especially if not cleaned up quickly and properly. Climate change increases our stress levels which has many consequences, including head disease and strokes. Even byproducts such as plastics harm all levels of life on earth by changing soil quality and infiltrating us via the food web and even our lungs. The petrochemicals used in personal care products also pose a variety of dangers to our health.
Fragile Infrastructure & Corporate Greed
Fragile Infrastructure & Corporate Greed
Price Gouging
Price Gouging
Oil Spills
Oil Spills
"Lake Maracaibo, which once was at the heart of Venezuela’s oil boom, has turned into a polluted wasteland, according to environmentalists.
The pollution of the lake, located about 600 kilometers (372 miles) west of the capital, Caracas, is the result of decades of excessive oil exploitation, poor maintenance of the obsolete infrastructure and a lack of waste treatment plants in the area. Tens of thousands of kilometers of pipes lie at its bottom, where crude oil leaks and system failures are frequent." - APNews: Lake Maracaibo Venezuela Pollution Fishermen
Plastic Pollution
Plastic Pollution
Since most plastic is a byproduct of the oil industry, virtually all plastic pollution is ultimately the fault of the oil industry. Newer types of bioplastic can break down in the environment, but petroleum-based plastics can survive in our air, water, and soil for hundreds of years. Microplastics have entered our food chain from the smaller invertebrates where they bioaccumulate in larger fish and other animal species. Farmers are increasingly feeding more and more plastic-contaminated or even fully plastic feed alternatives to livestock including cattle as feed costs rise and climate change upends food availability. Now scientists and doctors are finding microplastics in our blood, breast milk, and organs including our lungs.
Solutions
Solutions
The following are organized (to the best of our ability) from greatest impact to lesser. The larger section titles indicate a general topic or subject, and the smaller titles indicate sub-topics that can offer additional impact, though perhaps not as much as the next general topic.
End Oil Subsidies
End Oil Subsidies
Our governments currently give many times more money to fossil fuel companies than they spend on transitioning to green energy or energy efficiency. Ending these corporate handouts could help reset energy prices to reflect their true costs, encouraging a faster shift to green energy as well as discouraging energy waste.
Tax Fossil Fuels
Tax Fossil Fuels
Alternative Energy
Alternative Energy
Many of us already know solar and wind energy production is sky rocketing, but there are other types of energy production still being discovered and scaled up such as hygro-, snow, and kinetic energy.
Use Less Energy
Use Less Energy
The energy supply and market have often been described as "like a bathtub" which is filled with energy from different industries, and used (or drained) by many customers - industries and households. Historically oil, gas, and coal have made up the largest percent of this imaginary bathtub, however this percentage shrinks as more solar, wind, hydro, and other energy generation options enter the market and expand.
The problem now is that as people switch to green energy, they often want to support those industries by buying/using more energy, or feel that small actions like turning off lights is less important because they are using green energy. The problem with this is that using more energy means more energy production is needed, and this often translates to more fossil fuels to fill the gap when sustainable options aren't able to expand quickly enough.
By using less energy, we can help starve out the fossil fuel industries faster, especially after switching to green energy providers or setting up our own energy production.
Improve On & Expand Battery Usage
Improve On & Expand Battery Usage
This can boost the efficiency of renewables - for example storing extra solar power for cloudier days or night time hours.
A growing number of communities are now using excess renewable energy to heat water, which is then stored and redistributed to the community or for industrial uses. This makes the most of renewables and has allowed European communities to disinvest from Russian gas and oil.
Holding Companies & Executives Accountable
Holding Companies & Executives Accountable
Combat Price Gouging
Combat Price Gouging
"... There are also a number of concrete steps policymakers can take to respond to this price-fixing."
'... to arrest or sue the offending executives for criminal activity.
... to strengthen price-fixing and merger laws, allow more private class-action suits, force judges to speed up cases and increase the budget of antitrust enforcers to make collusion more difficult.
... to reform the Federal Reserve so policymakers there stop using macro-economic models that avoid considerations of profits and price-fixing.
... antitrust...' - (Edited format for ease of reading and to make the information more general - for readers outside of the USA) The Guardian: Corporations Price Gouging Big Oil
Taxing Polluters
Taxing Polluters
By taxing polluters fairly, we can reduce their commercial viability, while also providing funding for clean ups, funding sustainable projects and activities, as well as paying back communities around the world for the land, health, and other assets lost to Big Oil's corporate greed.
Clean Up Spills
Clean Up Spills
Historically energy companies have been very lazy and dishonest about their infrastructure's stability and clean up efforts after their many spills, leaks, and explosions. Polluters need to be held financially responsible, but there also needs to be legal oversight to prevent the oil industry from cutting corners, for example using dispersants to make oil "disappear" as it sinks instead of actually being removed from aquatic environments.
Clean Up Info
Clean Up Info
Oil Spills
Oil Spills
Human hair can be used to clean absorb oil spills naturally, however it becomes heavy and sinks, making it difficult and expensive to work with. Other devices and solutions have also been investigated, created, and improved upon. These include synthetic floating devices that absorb oil, bubble curtains, and microorganisms that feed on oil.
Containment
Containment
Oil spills can spread very fast, so ports, harbors, marinas and other places at high risk of suffering even small spills should try to include containment solutions such as booms or bubble curtains to contain and control oil spills before or as soon as they are noticed, and report to the authorities right away.
Unlike booms, bubble curtains can be a permanent, low impact fixture to help prevent spill spread, while allowing boats,
Plastic Pollution
Plastic Pollution
As a byproduct of the oil industry, plastics break down into dangerous chemicals and microplastics. When plastics break down in the sun, they actually increase CO2 levels.
Apps & Resources
Apps & Resources
En-ROADS Climate Solutions Simulator "is a fast, powerful climate solutions scenario tool for understanding how we can achieve our climate goals through changes in energy, land use, consumption, agriculture, and other policies. The simulator focuses on how changes in global GDP, energy efficiency, technological innovation, and carbon price influence carbon emissions, global temperature, and other factors. It is designed to provide a synthesis of the best available science on climate solutions and put it at the fingertips of groups in policy workshops and roleplaying games. These experiences enable people to explore the long-term climate impacts of global policy and investment decisions.
En-ROADS is being developed by Climate Interactive, Ventana Systems, UML Climate Change Initiative, and MIT Sloan.
This guide provides background on the dynamics of En-ROADS, tips for using the simulator, general descriptions, real-world examples, slider settings, and model structure notes for the different sliders in En-ROADS."
International
International
Legislation & Policy
Legislation & Policy
Zero Mercury: Oil and Gas "Relevant legislation and NGO policy work"
North America
North America
Oil & Gas Watch "to give the public access to information about the rapid expansion of the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries in the United States.
Portal Energético para América Latina "GEM’s Latin America Energy Portal offers a region-wide perspective on energy infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean, through interactive maps and thousands of wiki pages. The Portal synthesizes GEM’s research on nearly 5,000 projects throughout the region, including coal- and gas-fired power plants, oil and gas pipelines, oil and gas extraction sites, LNG terminals, solar farms, wind farms, coal terminals, coal mines and steel plants that meet a predetermined size threshold. Additional resources include country energy profiles, statistical data, reports, and links to organizations working towards a sustainable energy transition in Latin America and the Caribbean. ...
To learn about the various components of each GEM tracker, read About GEM’s Trackers. To receive notifications on this project, please sign up for our mailing list. If you have questions about this project, please contact the Project Manager, Gregor Clark."
USA
USA
Texas
Commission Shift: Report Portal "will forward your complaint to the Railroad Commission, but only Commission Shift will have your identifying information. We will not share it with anyone."
South America
South America
Portal Energético para América Latina "GEM’s Latin America Energy Portal offers a region-wide perspective on energy infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean, through interactive maps and thousands of wiki pages. The Portal synthesizes GEM’s research on nearly 5,000 projects throughout the region, including coal- and gas-fired power plants, oil and gas pipelines, oil and gas extraction sites, LNG terminals, solar farms, wind farms, coal terminals, coal mines and steel plants that meet a predetermined size threshold. Additional resources include country energy profiles, statistical data, reports, and links to organizations working towards a sustainable energy transition in Latin America and the Caribbean. ...
To learn about the various components of each GEM tracker, read About GEM’s Trackers. To receive notifications on this project, please sign up for our mailing list. If you have questions about this project, please contact the Project Manager, Gregor Clark."
Organizations
Organizations
The following organizations may oppose the oil industry directly or work on solutions that will help reduce the need for fossil fuels (active transit and waste-reduction groups help reduce our reliance on oil), or reduce the impact of the oil industry (for example oyster reefs help sequester carbon along with many other benefits).
International
International
Climate Defenders "is a multigenerational and multiracial action home rising up against the oil industry destroying our planet and our communities.
For generations, oil CEOs and the bank executives that finance them have prioritized profits over the well-being of our planet and its people. They pollute our air, poison our water, and dump toxins into our neighborhoods.
As Climate Defenders, we are fighting to end the fossil fuel industry and build a new future with good jobs, clean water, safe air, and a better future for our families. Join us!"
Europe
Europe
Beyond Fossil Fuels "Our vision is of a fair and sustainable, renewables-based European electricity sector that is predominantly powered by wind and solar energy, and free of fossil fuels by 2035. It will supply a nature-friendly energy system that minimises waste, and maximises efficiency through the electrification of heating, industry and transport, the insulation of buildings and the delivery of power via smart technology, providing permanently clean and affordable energy for generations to come."
North America
North America
USA
USA
Anthropocene Alliance (A2) "has almost 300 member-communities in 41 U.S. states and territories. They are impacted by flooding, toxic waste, wildfires, and drought and heat — all compounded by reckless development and climate change. The consequence is broken lives and a ravaged environment.
The goal of A2 is to help communities fight back. We do that by providing them organizing support, scientific and technical guidance, and better access to foundation and government funding. Most of all, our work consists of listening to our frontline leaders. Their experience, research, and solidarity guide everything we do, and offer a path toward environmental and social justice.
Supported by outstanding partner organizations with expertise in engineering, hydrology, public health, planning, and the law, A2 leaders have successfully halted developments in climate-vulnerable areas; implemented nature-based hazard mitigation strategies; organized home buyouts; and pushed for clean-ups at superfund sites, toxic landfills, and petrochemical plants.
We support everyone we can, but our special priority is people who have suffered the worst environmental impacts for the longest time; that usually means low-income, Black, Latinx, Native American and other underserved communities.
To learn about our policies, read our A 10-Point Platform on Climate Change."
Clean Water Action "is working to protect people and communities from oil and gas production's harmful environmental and health impacts while pushing for the transition to a clean energy economy."
The Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) created Oil & Gas Watch "to give the public access to information about the rapid expansion of the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries in the United States.
Over the last decade and a half, fracking and other new drilling techniques have turned the United States into the largest producer of oil and gas in the world. But the buildup of the industry does not just involve drilling sites and wells – although that’s what people most often associate with oil and gas.
Downstream from those oil and gas wells, a vast web of pipelines, tanks, compressor stations, processing plants, refineries, liquefied natural gas export terminals, and chemical plants is also spreading across the U.S., often outside the consciousness of the public.
It is this oil and gas infrastructure – and the massive amount of pollution that it produces, out of sight and out of mind – that is the focus of Oil & Gas Watch. Monitoring the expansion of the industry’s infrastructure and downstream refineries and chemical plants has become increasingly important. The growth of the web of pipelines and downstream facilities means not only more pollution, but also the long-term locking-in of demand for oil, gas, and other petroleum products for decades to come. People living near or working at these sites also face dangers from explosions, fires, and leaks of toxic gases. These hazards to nearby communities become even greater with climate change, as many refineries and chemical plants are built in flood zones and are overwhelmed by hurricanes and floods.
The information in Oil & Gas Watch comes from public sources, including state and federal government records and public filings and press releases from industry."
EWG (Environmental Working Group) "Since 1993, the Environmental Working Group has shined a spotlight on outdated legislation, harmful agricultural practices and industry loopholes that pose a risk to our health and the health of our environment.
Whether it’s on Capitol Hill or in communities across America, we make our voices heard, changing the debate over environmental health and putting the most important people – you and your family – at the center of the conversation."
Rewiring America ⚡ "is the leading electrification nonprofit, focused on electrifying our homes, businesses, and communities. We develop accessible, actionable data and tools, and build coalitions and partnerships to make going electric easier for households and communities. Rewiring America helps Americans save money, tackle nationwide emissions goals, improve health, and build the next generation of the clean energy workforce. We believe in an abundant, flourishing, climate-safe future, and know that, together, we can realize one."
Stop the Money Pipeline "We are a coalition of 230+ organizations working to hold the financial sector accountable for its role in fueling climate chaos and environmental racism.
Join us to help end financing for fossil fuels."The Youth Climate Finance Alliance "is a youth-led and youth-centered network of individual organizers and organizations. Our team’s purpose is to serve as a resource, network, and support system for grassroots youth climate organizations across the so-called US. We facilitate growth through skill development and transformative relationship building which enables local youth leaders to build and wield power against corporate climate villains and end extractive institutions and industries, with a particular emphasis on the financial pipeline to the fossil fuel industry.
We believe in growing the power of grassroots youth organizers and organizations. The young people we work with have immense revolutionary potential and power. With support, guidance, and community, they will radically change the world for the better. We see climate finance as a strategic, targeted pathway to channel the energy of youth climate organizers and target financial institutions that are directly responsible for funding fossil fuel infrastructure and projects, harming communities, our planet, and our future."
Arizona
Navajo Power "is the leading developer that possesses the necessary combination of technical expertise, cultural and linguistic aptitude, and access to capital to successfully develop utility-scale clean energy projects on the Navajo Nation and across Indian Country"
California
APEN (Asian Pacific Environmental Network) "All people have a right to a clean and healthy environment in which their communities can live, work, learn, play and thrive. Towards this vision, APEN brings together a collective voice to develop an alternative agenda for environmental, social and economic justice.
Through building an organized movement, we strive to bring fundamental changes to economic and social institutions that will prioritize public good over profits and promote the right of every person to a decent, safe, affordable quality of life, and the right to participate in decisions affecting our lives. APEN holds this vision of environmental justice for all people. Our work focuses on Asian immigrant and refugee communities."
Texas
Commission Shift "is reforming oil and gas oversight in the state of Texas by building public support to hold the Railroad Commission of Texas accountable to its mission in a shifting energy landscape. The Railroad Commission of Texas is a state agency. Despite not being well known among Texans, the commission holds a position of national and global importance when it comes to oil and gas oversight.
Together with our supporters and fellow advocates, we have established ourselves as an authority on the Railroad Commission. Local, state, and national media outlets and public officials routinely seek us out for guidance and comment on Railroad Commission issues."
South America
South America
Amazon Watch "is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1996 to protect the rainforest and advance the rights of Indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin. We partner with Indigenous and environmental organizations in campaigns for human rights, corporate accountability, and the preservation of the Amazon's ecological systems."
Maps & Trackers
Maps & Trackers
International
International
The Global Integrated Power Tracker (GIPT) (Interactive) is a multi-sector dataset of power stations and facilities worldwide. The tracker provides unit-level information on thermal power (coal, oil, gas, nuclear, geothermal, bioenergy) and renewables (solar, wind, hydro). The tracker includes data on unit capacity, status, ownership, fuel type, start year, retirement date, geolocation, and more. Each power facility is linked to a profile page, hosted on GEM.wiki, that provides further information.
Global Energy Monitor's eight power sector trackers provide the source of underlying data: the Global Coal Plant Tracker, Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker, Global Solar Power Tracker, Global Wind Power Tracker, Global Hydropower Tracker, Global Geothermal Power Tracker, Global Bioenergy Power Tracker, Global Nuclear Power Tracker."
The Global Oil and Gas Extraction Tracker (GOGET) (Interactive) "is a global dataset of oil and gas resources and their development. GOGET includes information on discovered, in-development, and operating oil and gas units worldwide, including both conventional and unconventional assets. The dataset tracks the status, ownership, production, and reserves of each unit, as data is available. Units that have production of 1 million boe/yr or more and/or reserves of 25 million boe or more are included. The data is provided in both map and table format. Each unit included in the tracker is linked to a wiki page on GEM.wiki, which provides additional details, including references for the data."
The Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker (GOGPT) (Interactive) is a worldwide dataset of oil and gas-fired power plants. It includes units with capacities of 50 megawatts (MW) or more (20 MW or more in the European Union and the United Kingdom). For internal combustion units, or those units that have multiple identically sized engines, the 50 MW capacity unit threshold applies to the total capacity of the set of engines. The GOGPT catalogs every oil and gas power plant at this capacity threshold of any status, including operating, announced, pre-construction, construction, shelved, cancelled, mothballed, or retired. Units often consist of a boiler and gas or steam turbines, and several units may make up one power station. The map and underlying data is updated bi-annually, in February and August. Each plant included in the tracker is linked to a wiki page on GEM.wiki, which provides additional details."
The Global Oil Infrastructure Tracker (GOIT) (Interactive) is an information resource on crude oil and natural gas liquids (NGL) transmission pipeline projects and their development. Currently, GOIT attempts to include all global crude oil and NGL transmission pipelines of any status, though availability on this infrastructure varies across countries and regions, and some are researched more completely than others. An interactive map shows pipeline routes, and tables allow users to access additional data on each project. Both the map and table can be filtered, and more information is provided on project-specific wiki pages housed on GEM.wiki. The sources used during research and data collection are cited in each project’s wiki page. The internal GOIT database and wiki pages are updated continuously throughout the year, and an annual release is published and distributed with data summary tables."
Europe
Europe
Local Energy Solutions Map "This interactive map shows inspiring examples of how individuals, communities, cooperatives, municipalities, and businesses are successfully implementing energy transition solutions. From solar rooftops to wind farms, discover how diverse and impactful the journey to sustainability can be."
North America
North America
Oil & Gas Watch "to give the public access to information about the rapid expansion of the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries in the United States."
Portal Energético para América Latina "GEM’s Latin America Energy Portal offers a region-wide perspective on energy infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean, through interactive maps and thousands of wiki pages. The Portal synthesizes GEM’s research on nearly 5,000 projects throughout the region, including coal- and gas-fired power plants, oil and gas pipelines, oil and gas extraction sites, LNG terminals, solar farms, wind farms, coal terminals, coal mines and steel plants that meet a predetermined size threshold. Additional resources include country energy profiles, statistical data, reports, and links to organizations working towards a sustainable energy transition in Latin America and the Caribbean. ...
To learn about the various components of each GEM tracker, read About GEM’s Trackers. To receive notifications on this project, please sign up for our mailing list. If you have questions about this project, please contact the Project Manager, Gregor Clark."
USA
USA
Texas
Inactive Wells Map "Number of inactive unplugged wells by Texas County. Source: Railroad Commission of Texas. Inactive Well Aging Report.
Inactive wells are those with an active operator that have been inactive for at least 12 months. These wells do not meet the definition of “orphaned wells.” Operators are still responsible for plugging these wells."Orphaned Wells Map "Number of orphaned wells by Texas County. Source: Railroad Commission of Texas. Orphan Wells with Delinquent P-5 Greater Than 12 Months.
Orphaned wells have no active operator on file with the Railroad Commission of Texas. The wells on this list have been inactive at least 12 months, and the operator’s organization report (P-5) has also been delinquent for at least 12 months."
South America
South America
Portal Energético para América Latina "GEM’s Latin America Energy Portal offers a region-wide perspective on energy infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean, through interactive maps and thousands of wiki pages. The Portal synthesizes GEM’s research on nearly 5,000 projects throughout the region, including coal- and gas-fired power plants, oil and gas pipelines, oil and gas extraction sites, LNG terminals, solar farms, wind farms, coal terminals, coal mines and steel plants that meet a predetermined size threshold. Additional resources include country energy profiles, statistical data, reports, and links to organizations working towards a sustainable energy transition in Latin America and the Caribbean. ...
To learn about the various components of each GEM tracker, read About GEM’s Trackers. To receive notifications on this project, please sign up for our mailing list. If you have questions about this project, please contact the Project Manager, Gregor Clark."
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