- Question
Can we live without oil?
Oil is a big part of society. It’s used to power cars and produce energy. Although the world relies on oil, oil has a negative rap. When burned, oil creates carbon dioxide. Global warming and the degradation of the global environment is caused by excessive carbon dioxide emissions. Would it be better if society stopped using oil or is it so reliant on oil that it would be too risky to get rid of it?
Yes, we can live without oil
This position holds that society can live without oil. It argues that we are dangerously over-reliant on it while the environment suffers, that renewable energy sources can replace it, and that alternatives — including more active forms of transport — would be healthier as well as cleaner.
No, we can’t live without oil
This position holds that we cannot live without oil. It argues that oil is the backbone of the global energy supply — which renewables cannot yet replace at scale — and that many of its by-products, woven into countless everyday products, have no viable non-oil substitutes.