What does oil do for the earth?

Question

Does oil have any practical effects for the earth?

For instance algea and trees provide oxygen... what does oil do if anything?

Answer 1

My best guess is you mean underground oil, and not some kind of oily coating of leaves?

If that's the case, I've long believed that oil does serve a purpose (you know, the stuff we keep pumping out of the ground to burn as fuel). The entire planet is made up of chunks of land that are all moving (forgot the term, but something like "techtonic plates," or whatever). Anyway, I suspect that oil provides them a cushion to move on, much like oil in your car lubricates the metal parts that move. Without the oil, those metal parts would seize and your motor would give out.

If this is true, then what are we doing to the earth by removing the oil? Without it, those plates of ground are going to move together much more violently.....Stronger, more frequent, and more violent earthquakes being the result.

Anyhow, no scientific evidence for any of this....just my humble opinon and personal theory.

Answer 2

Oil is a concentrate of energy plants have accumulated during millions of years, an oil we are burning in a few decades to liberate CO2 . After burning all oil human beings will disappear and the plants will start the process again.

Answer 3

Oil , gas and coal is the way nature stores the energy from the sun for our later use.

Answer 4

It lubricates the earths axis.

Answer 5

Simply pollution.