With the price of oil over $50 a barrel and possibly increasing, the importance of energy in our daily lives has once again become evident. The recent run-up in oil prices combined with continued global instability in major oil-producing areas has highlighted America's dependency on oil. The American Geological Institute (AGI) has produced a guide, Petroleum and the Environment, that helps the public, educators and policy makers understand petroleum from its formation to its consumption, including the many environmental issues that develop along the way.