This timely book looks at the world's production of oil and our dependence on this natural resource. The majority of today's forms of transportation run on fuel that comes from oil, and hundreds of thousands of the items we use every day come from oil or oil-based products. Young readers will find out about the origins of oil and its first use in industry, and learn how it is found, mined, and processed into many different products that are used all over the world. Case studies also consider the environmental and human disasters related to oil, encouraging discussion of the ethics and worldwide impact of the production, distribution, and consumption of this global resource. Possible alternatives to using oil are also discussed now that this important, non-renewable natural resource is running out.