2006-06-16 23:22:48 · 8 answers · asked by aldztrust 1 in News & Events ➔ Current Events
All in all no the oil is not running out, these next few years are going to see and peak in the production of oil since hte industry started. Claims of the world running out of oil have been made for the last 100 years. As the price of oil rises people simply spend more money on finding new supplies of oil.
As one example, there is sufficient oil within the tar sands and oil shales of the US and Canada to last about 5, 000 years. And no, that isn't a typo. That really is 5 thousand years. See the link below. The world is not going to run out of oil any time soon.
It may be going to run out of really cheap oil, but that is an entirely different issue.
Source(s):
http://geology.ou.edu/library/aapg_oil.p...
Synthetic oils are available but currently the prices would be even higher than that of natural sources. However, cheer up; it is high gas and oil prices that drive the quest for viable alternative energy sources and exploration for new sources.
2006-06-16 23:47:20 · answer #1 · answered by Rick 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The world has about 150 gallons of crude oil left.
We will run out in 47 seconds 46 45 44 43 42 41...
2006-06-16 23:27:48 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very difficult question because there's a lot of controversy. One side says it's limited and will soon (100 years?) run out, while another side says that there are trillions of barrels of oil (just in Colorado!), enough for a thousand years or more. The real issue, however, may be: how much longer can we continue to pollute and poison the air, water, and ground before we go extinct?
2006-06-16 23:32:08 · answer #3 · answered by Pandak 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the difficulty in answering this question is that oil consumption will fluctuate. right now most scientific consensus is within 100 years. but that's at current usage.
however, as we find more efficient ways to use fossil fuels (ex. cars that get 100 miles to gallon rather than 20), then our need will decrease. thus, our supply will last longer. so when the 100 year mark comes around, ol' George Bush the 6th will say "see, those liberals don't know what their talking about, we still have plenty of oil."
2006-06-23 14:09:17 · answer #4 · answered by Bob B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Petroleum is a finite resource. It WiLL run out. Likely within the next 40-50 years. Consumption isn't constant; it increases yearly. India and China are driving up consumption faster than the US. Synthetics are unreliable for use as fuels. Moving to other sources, especially reneweable ones is the ideal. E85 is a load of crap, because it takes a smuch energy to CREATE E85 as it produces. Alcohol from sugarcane is more efficient as the husks can be burned to provide most of the energy needed to convert the cane to alcohol. It's a nearly self-sufficient process.
Using vegetable oils to replace diesel is also practical.
These technologies already exist.
Solar. Hydrogen fuel-cells. These technologies are in the future as they are still issues to work out.
2006-06-17 01:16:42 · answer #5 · answered by Immortal Blade 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
around a trillion barrels and it is thought it will be depleted by 2050
p.s America uses the same amount of oil a year as the rest of the world combined a year
2006-06-16 23:32:08 · answer #6 · answered by a 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm always wondering when the supply will run out and what we will do then. It's bound to run out sometime, we've been pumping it forever.
2006-06-17 00:32:40 · answer #7 · answered by Stacy R 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not enough why did you think they raised the gas prices?
2006-06-16 23:52:21 · answer #8 · answered by Da Great 1 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋