Oil Crisis

Delusional · 01-10-2006, 09:06 PM

What is everyone's views and ideas on the so-called oil crisis? Is the modern world running short on oil? Will we run out soon? Is their a solution to our dependence on oil?

FLYBOYJ · 01-10-2006, 10:03 PM

I don't think oil will "run out," that's been an old argument. There needs to be a major push (like the space program) to utilize alternate energy sources so the west doesn't have to rely on foreign oil..

Delusional · 01-10-2006, 10:40 PM

I don't understand what the space program has to do with alternate energy sources. Can you please explain?

FLYBOYJ · 01-10-2006, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delusional

I don't understand what the space program has to do with alternate energy sources. Can you please explain?

Were you around when the US was trying to send men to the moon?!? Do you know the effort and determination put into that? If the same effort was placed toward finding alternate fuels we will all be driving 400 hp SUV that get 300 mpg and don't pollute....

DerAdlerIstGelandet · 01-11-2006, 03:58 AM

Yeap but at the same time I think they are not looking for an alternate source at this moment to seriously because of a deal with the oil firms and auto fims.

Pisis · 01-11-2006, 06:21 AM

I think it's not an oil crisis but more a gas crisis. we could see that now in the beef between Ukraine and Russia.
Russia uses it's gas suppliemtn to control (more or less) political determination of their customers..... We saw it on Ukraine now. When the pro-Moscow regime of Lenid Kuchma was thrown off last year in the Yuschenko's "so called Orange Revolution, Russia raised the price of gas almost one time..........
In fact, whole Europe is dependednt on Russia's gas goods. Because countries like Germany or Great Britian use gas power to transform it into electricity...........

There is only small bed of gas in the Norweigian Sea, which is running on 100% now......
Atomic energy is too expensive......
The renewable resources (like wind, water or biomass) can't supply the needs for full......

So the real proclamation is to invent a new kind of source. But I'm not a scientiest.......

Delusional · 01-11-2006, 12:30 PM

Well, FLYBOYJ, technically I wasn't around when the U.S. was trying send men to the moon...
And Pisis, how close could we be to this new source? Will it be here in time to prevent crisis?

marconi · 01-11-2006, 01:05 PM

In short oil is not a renewable resourse.Therefore it will end sooner or later.But that is not main problem.The problem is that there's no need to suck out all oil to get into trouble.There is a theory that at some point the production of oil would peak and after it would go down forever.This theory is called Hubbert peak theory after the name of the guy who created it.I think it is understandable that economical growth of th world depends on oil.If oil extraction will stop or decrease this would cause significant economical problems.So, the most important questions are: When will this peak happen? How will global economy react to it? What can be done i.e. what can we use instead of oil?

Here is an article about oil crisis:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubbert_peak
You can find some more links at the end of it.

cheddar cheese · 01-11-2006, 03:05 PM

Quote:

What can be done i.e. what can we use instead of oil?

KY Jelly

I dunno though, surely a viable, effective alternative can be thought of and artificially produced..We have some 50 odd years to work it out...

marconi · 01-11-2006, 03:21 PM

Some experts think that it could happen in 2010s.

cheddar cheese · 01-11-2006, 03:24 PM

I seriously doubt that to be honest. 30 years minimum.

marconi · 01-11-2006, 03:37 PM

I don't have any information to accept or decline this forecast.Maybe you do?Some experts btw think we've already passed the peak, we just didn't noticed.Thats the problem - nobody knows exact quontity of oil, left on Earth.

cheddar cheese · 01-11-2006, 04:06 PM

I dont have any figures, but the least ive heard is around 25 years, the most being around 65 years...never as low as about 10 though.

marconi · 01-11-2006, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marconi

Thats the problem - nobody knows exact quontity of oil, left on Earth.

Delusional · 01-11-2006, 06:27 PM

I've read more than a few sources which estimate between 10 and 15 years. Perhaps, cheddar cheese, you're thinking in terms of "running out," when the real danger is in "running low." Think of what even a minimal decrease in production will do to a global economy which consumes more and more oil every day. And as we use up the most accessible oil fields first, think of how much more money (and oil) it will take to extract the amount of oil that we will need even five years from now from oil fields which are in less accessible areas. And in terms of scientific discovery, experiment, improvement, and implementation, will even 65 years actually be enough time? And how much money (and oil) will these scientists need to get the job done?