Re: If oil pumped out in middle-east will it change rotation of earth?

William, Your analogy of the earth as a spinning ball with weight added to 
it causing it to spin differently is tempting, but first we must take into 
account the collossal size of the earth in general especially as compared 
to a mere spinning ball witha bit of clay pushed to one side. 

Another good anology would be the Comet shoemaker-levy9 crashing into Jupiter 
and adding its mass to that planet in I believe 1994. There was no appreciable 
or noticeable difference in the way Jupiter spun after the addition of so 
many large sizes of Space rock to that planet. And that was no small 
comet!.  Also, the oil which is pumped out of the earth comes straight out 
of the crust, not the heavier mantle or center. 

So although it does seem that we pump an awful lot of oil from the bowels of 
the earth's crust, it is really no large amount when compared to the rest of 
the earth's crust as a whole, and so no affect is noticeable or even measurable 
by todays' standards. We have far more to fear from the use of this oil as a 
warming gas and a gas used for transport and energy,due to its proven effects 
on global warning, than we would have from pumping too much oil from one 
region of the crust. 

Rest assured that if the Libyan fields dried up tomorrow we would have nothing 
to fear from that fact, taken at face value. But a good and thoughtful question 
all the same. Shows an inquisitive and intuitive mind well suited to studying 
science. 

One word of advice: Put you eyes to the stars. There is where we all come from: 
the sun, the earth and all that is on it, the rest of the solar aystem. 

Truly, we are stardust,

Donald E Duggan