Essay: Role of Youth in Promoting Oil Conservation
Essay: Role of youth in promoting oil conservation Youths are the people who are most flexible and able to learn. Young people can learn habits that are less dependent on fuel than the habits we older people have. Young people, then, can grow up with better habits and make conservation of oil something that is just normal for everyone. This is why youth has a major role in promoting oil conservation. The first rule of fuel conservation would be to travel judiciously and curtail wasteful driving. Wherever possible/ available and convenient, use public transport instead of using personal transport.
Matching the size of the vehicle to your need would also go a long way in conserving fuel. For instance if you have the option of a personal car and a scooter, then use the scooter when only two persons have to travel, and the car if more persons have to travel or heavy luggage needs to be transported. As far as possible, avoid idling the vehicle between red and green signal, be it a car, scooter or any other mechanized transport. Try to buy fuel efficient vehicles. There is no substitute for timely attention, servicing and tuning of the vehicle in fuel conservation and emission control.
This should include checking of injectors and spark plugs, correct tyre pressure, re-greasing, topping up or renewal of lubricants for engine and gear boxes. Correct driving habits are important for fuel conservation.. As the supply of oil dwindles, the price rises. It seems to be the youth in any society who complain most about money troubles. One point you might make in this essay is that oil conservation could lead to reduced spending (for individuals) which is especially important for young adults. Young people can demonstrate a serious commitment to reducing oil consumption through their choices as they become old enough to drive.
Instead of regarding the acquisition of a driver’s license as a rite of passage to be followed by acquisition of a vehicle of one’s choice to be driven whenever possible, young people could set an example for others by thinking about finding alternative methods of transportation. Bicycles or walking use no oil. Mass transit or car pooling would greatly reduce the amount of oil being used as fewer vehicles were on the road. More efficient vehicles or vehicles that use alternative sources of energy would also reduce the dependence on oil.
If they developed these attitudes and habits at a young age, today’s young people would carry that lifestyle with them into the future and would pass it on to coming generations. Our next generation is the one which will have to deal with either the loss of oil as a resource (assuming oil does not self-replenish) or of a world where use of fossil fuels is becoming more and more harmful. We must educate about alternative fuels; not just solar and wind — those are too inefficient to be more than a feel-good solution at the moment — but safe nuclear fusion utilizing Thorium.
Breakthroughs in engine design and efficient motors can reduce gasoline usage significantly. Electric cars are still a long way from a workable solution — they never mention where the electricity comes from: oil and coal power plants — but they can be made better and better. Solutions need to come from the best thinkers in our working youth, and we can encourage this sort of beneficial, problem-solution oriented thinking with thorough, fact-checked education. As the conclusion we can say that youth tend to be more environmentally conscious.
Of course, that’s been true for generations. They grow into adults and it’s not a priority any more. I guess the question is how we make that environmental consciousness stick, so that they still care about the environment as adults. One concrete way a youth can work on oil conservation would be to organize a rideshare or carpool program at school. Many students can set the pace for carpooling by setting up a bulletin board at school or email list for people who need rides in the same area. This is a concrete step any student/young person can take.
