To understand how we get petrol and diesel, we need to know about fossil fuels. Since we were in primary school we got to learn about fossil fuels but here is a brief explanation. Fossil fuels are natural gases that were formed millions of years ago from the remains of dead animals and plants. Fossil fuels are a source of energy and they can come in the form of coal, oil (petroleum), and natural gas. Our country largely depends on fossil fuels and 70% of the energy to run the country comes from burning coal.
So, we get petroleum from fossil fuels but what about diesel? Well, diesel comes from the distillation of petroleum at 200-300 (degrees Celsius). So basically both petrol and diesel are fossil fuels and are non-renewable sources of energy.
Do we have enough fuel?
India has 0.3.% of the world’s fuel and we have 17% of the world’s population. The demand and produce cannot be balanced. As of now, Andhra Pradesh produces the largest amount of oil followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu respectively. Yet we produce only 35.2 million tons of petroleum and our country’s demand is 211.6 million tons which is literally more than 6 times more of what we produce.
So how do we meet our demands?
We import! We import oil from foreign countries mostly from the United States, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq, and Canada.
What makes oil so expensive in India?
- With no new oil fields, 85% of the oil that we use is being imported which is the main reason why there is inflation in fuel price.
- Taxes from both the central and state government can add to the overall price of oil.
- Weak value of Indian rupee.
- Rise of price in oil globally.
Talking about fuel price is not a fun topic, the cost of fuel in the last two decades has changed drastically. Between 2000-2021 the price of petrol has gone up from 28.7Rs to 109.98Rs per liter and, 16.55Rs to 86.67Rs per liter for diesel. The price hike in fuel is becoming a concerning issue for the Indian middle class and below middle-class families, pushing them toward the poverty line.
What about the future?
Studies have shown that the fossil fuel left on earth will last only for 90 more years. And with the growing population, we cannot guarantee that too. Not sure if things can go back to smooth sailing. We can only prevent things from getting worse and try to undo the damage by making smarter choices and choosing a more sustainable way of living.
Quick Ride’s Carpool goal is to keep 1 million cars off the road every day. The more cars stay off the road, the lesser fuel we will consume and reduce the emission CO2. To date, the Quick Ride carpool community has prevented 95,450 tons of CO2.
Carpooling is a real simple task yet it can really make a difference in our carbon footprint.
Carpooling benefits not only an individual, it is not only about saving money or earning money but it can really reduce the overall consumption of fuel.
How do you commute daily? Is it both sustainable and practical? Comment below and let us know.
Download Quick Ride:
Play Store: Quick Ride Carpool, Bikepool, Taxi, Bazaary & Jobs
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Read more articles:
- Chennai’s growing population and failure to meet taxi demand.
- Quick Ride: Chennai Airport Taxi Services