July-August , 2021 | @ green
COLUMN
17 oceans of the planet . Whale Oil
In the Industrial Revolution , oil which was required as a lubricant for reducing friction in moving machines , or was being used as an illuminant , was sourced from the coal shales . But there was another source – whales .
Initial records show whales as landdwelling , hoofed mammals that first appeared some 50 million years ago . Over several million years , they developed fins , became marine creatures and evolved substantially in size to become the majestic rulers of our oceans .
The Antarctic Blue Whale is currently the largest animal on the planet , weighing up to 180,000 kg , equivalent to approximately 30 African elephants . These magnificent creatures , reaching up to 30 meters in length , have hearts the size of a small car .
As we look back on the history of our planet , to the era of the dinosaurs before the evolution of the whale , we learn that the Argentinosaurus , with an estimated weight of nearly 80,000 kg , was the heaviest dinosaur . This is equivalent to 17 large African elephants .
Thus , the Antarctic Blue Whale of today is even larger than the most massive of the dinosaurs of yesteryear .
Whales have been hunted by humans for centuries all across the planet . Historical records suggest that the Norwegians were among the first to hunt for these marine creatures as early as 4,000 years ago .
Seafaring communities as varied as the Inuit ( who hunted in the Arctic Ocean ), Basque ( Atlantic ), and Japanese ( Pacific ) relied on whales to make products of economic value . The traditional practice of whaling was also an ingrained part of their individual cultural identities .
During Medieval Times , between 500 AD and 1500 AD , whaling gained popularity throughout Northern Europe . Nearly every part of a whale had some use .
Whale oil was used for oil lamps and baleen ( sometimes called whalebone ) to construct corsets and hoop skirts ( female attire ). Both items were valuable commodities . Whales were also exploited to produce a variety of other goods and materials , including soap , perfume , clothing , fishing hooks and whale meat .
With the advent of the Industrial Revolution in Western Europe and in the United States from the 18th century , the demand for whale oil began to significantly impact global whale populations .
As professionally-manned factories replaced community-centred cottage industries and mass production substituted handicrafts , friction-reducing lubricants were always in demand to ensure the smooth operations of the noisy machines that lined busy ( and often crowded ) factory floors .
As urban populations and mechanisation grew and with the electric bulb only being invented in 1879 , even more whale oil was required as an illuminant to light homes and brightened dark streets and alleyways .
Whaling soon spread from Europe to the United States , and this activity hit its peak in the mid-1800s . New technologies , including gun-loaded harpoons and steamships , enabled whalers worldwide to be even more efficient .
Based on the East Coast of the United States , the American whaling fleet operated hundreds of ships in the South Atlantic , Pacific , and Indian Oceans . Whaling was a multi-million dollar industry .
Some analysts estimate that more whales were hunted in the early 1900s
The process of the harpooning of a whale captured on this stamp from the island of Micronesia .
A stamp from Cuba honouring the work of Sir Alexander Fleming .
than in the previous four centuries combined . By the mid-20th century , most species of the large whale were being rapidly pushed toward extinction .
In fact , it was the discovery of “ black gold ” – crude oil , in large volumes in the United States that offered alternatives to whale oil and resulted in the effective end to large scale commercial hunting of whales .
In the early 1970s , the United States listed eight whales as endangered species whilst officially outlawing whaling in 1971 .
By then , the scale of the impact on the biodiversity of our planet caused Philip J . Clapham and Leila T . Hatch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to claim in 2000 : “ The commercial hunting of whales in the 20th century represents what was arguably – in terms of sheer biomass – the greatest wildlife exploitation episode in human history .”
Black Gold – Crude Oil
To understand some of the first uses of crude oil , we go back in history to around 4000 BC . Then , in Mesopotamia ( presentday Iraq and some areas of Iran ), oil that naturally seeped to the surface to form bitumen - a tarry crude - was primarily used as a sealant for boats .
It is also believed that the ancient Egyptians used it for embalming . The walls of Babylon and the famed pyramids were held together with it . Oil in ancient times was generally used close to where it was found , seeping through natural cracks in the Earth ’ s surface .
Before the 1850s , oil was hardly considered a resource . In fact , it was perceived as a nuisance . Drillers seeking underground saltwater deposits to distil into salt were sometimes confronted by the presence of “ rock oil ”, which had no known application .
What turned oil from a nuisance to a resource was the scientific work of Benjamin Silliman Jr .
In the 1850s , the market for lightproducing liquid fuels was dominated by coal oil and an increasingly inadequate supply of whale oil . George Bissell , a New York lawyer , his partner , Jonathan Eveleth , a lawyer , and James Townsend , a banker from Connecticut , though there was a possibility that the crude “ rock oil ” nuisance had been repeatedly occurring in Pennsylvania could be used as an illuminant .
Bissell and Eveleth realised that the oil
A First Day Cover from 1959 commemorating the 100th anniversary of the discovery of oil in America .
was flammable and were convinced there was a large commercial opportunity to be developed in mass-producing rock oil to be marketed as a substitute for lamp fuel .
To progress their idea , they sought a well-respected scientist to assess their hypothesis and validate whether rock oil could be used in such a manner . They found Benjamin Silliman Jr ., a professor from Yale University .
In 1855 , Silliman Jr . assessed the hypothesis of Bissell and Eveleth and crafted a report ( for which he charged US $ 526.08 ) that contained his analysis . The report covered the subject of Pennsylvania rock oil and its potential utility as an illuminant . Silliman Jr . concluded his report by stating that petroleum is “ a raw material from which ... they may manufacture a very valuable product .”
The content of this report convinced investors to back Bissell and Eveleth . It thus was created the “ Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company ” ( later renamed the “ Seneca Oil Company ”).
Drilling of the well in search of petroleum was left to Edwin Drake . He , after several setbacks , discovered oil in the scenic area of Titusville , Pennsylvania on Aug 27 , 1859 .
There , and then commenced an activity that would become the currency of political and economic power for the next 160 years . It would be an industry that would be at the core of creating some of the richest nations and largest commercial corporations . It would also be the cause of wars .
As for George Bissell , he would become known as the “ Father of the Petroleum Industry ”.
Winston Churchill and the Creation of BP
“ HMS Spiteful ” was a naval torpedo boat destroyer built for the British Royal Navy and launched in 1899 . Specified to steam at 30 knots , in 1904 , HMS Spiteful became the first naval warship to be powered solely using fuel oil .
Tests were conducted by the Royal Navy in that year , comparing her performance using oil directly with a similar ship using coal . This experiment proved that burning oil offered significant advantages , demonstrating that oil allowed more excellent acceleration , speedier ships and delivered benefits in the fleet ’ s operations and manning .
Fuel-powered vessels could also be refilled at sea , thus providing a greater
Above : Our Energy Addiction Trajectory .
Former First Lord of the Admiralty and Former British Prime Minister , Sir Winston Churchill , is featured on this stamp from the island of Jersey .
Before the 1850s , oil was hardly considered a resource . In fact , it was perceived as a nuisance . Drillers seeking underground saltwater deposits to distil into salt were sometimes confronted by the presence of “ rock oil ”, which had no known application .”