11. California Oil Rush

And to think that some people believe wind farms look like blots on the landscape. This was once bare land but is now home to oil drill after oil drill; a whole oil field, spanning wide and deep and disappearing over the edge of the horizon. Based in California, this is the Kern River oil field, and has been open and working since 1899.

The amount of oil that can be produced from fields like these is monumental. During its time of operation, the Kern River oil field has produced in excess of two billion barrels of oil. Although it was once feared that the supply below the ground was close to running out, further research has suggested that there may be up to 500 million barrels worth still in the ground, which suggests it will run for at least another thirty years before it bleeds the earth dry. All that will be left is a barren wasteland.

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