Social Good Engineering Magazine: GineersNow Social Innovation GineersNow Engineering Magazine Issue No. 001 | Page 74

O I O L I L I N A D N U D S T G R A I S E S Benefits of Cheap Oil won’t be felt anytime soon Petroleum In- vestment are going down, the manag- ing sector is sinking, and the stock market is dropping. Photo Source: Eugene-or Petroleum Investment are going down, the managing sector is sinking, and the stock market is dropping. With all this happen- ing in their country, Americans are wondering: Will we ever see the benefits of cheap oil? The prices of crude oil have gone down by 70% since mid-2014, this year it plummet- ed below $30 a barrel. This is a big difference from 18 months ago, when they were at $110 a barrel. Recent technological breakthroughs of hydraulic fracturing have transformed the market for black gold. This made the United States the world’s leading petroleum exporter. If that is the case, then why do Americans feel so down about oil prices? It may just be a question of timing, some econo- mists say. “On a net basis, the decline of oil prices is or will be positive for the US economy.” According to Angel Ubide, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Eco- nomics. Because the nega- tive impact is “faster and more concentrated in time”, people are already feeling it, said Ubide. “If we look at it in two or three years’ time, we’ll be able to conclude that the decline in oil process on net was positive. But we need some time for that.” He added. Get Gas From Plastic Waste A plant situated in Hong Kong has invented some- thing very cool. They have created a way to recycle waste plastic bottles into usable fuel. This is part of the Plastic Waste-to-fuel System of the Hong Kong Plant. The workers in the plant imports some plastic bottles from Australia. The recyclable plastic waste will then be segregated from non-recyclable plastics. Then a prototype machine is used for condensation and purification. The Fuel oil is collected from the plastic before the process of puri- fication and sedimentation. The Director of the company Ecotech, Mr. Cheung, is the man who suggested this pro- cess. When the oil is refined, it is found that it is suitable for using it as oil for engines that runs on diesel. The company Ecotech, based in Hong Kong, is famous for the recycling of plastic since the year 2007. They have found out that more than 5% of the oil production in a year is used up in the manufac- turing process of plastic. The impact in the environment of the carbon residue of plastic is also very danger- ous. This is the reason they looked for different ways to recycle the different types of plastics materials. This com- pany has joined hands with many other organizations to fulfill this purpose. They also import plastic from different countries in order to recycle them. Through this process of producing oil from plastic, the company is setting an example for others. This company is contributing to the sustenance of the environment. They use their power to help purify the environment. Thus, they are doing something that will help mankind in generations to come. Ecotech Produces Usable Oil from Waste Plastic Bottles Photo Source: WSJ 74