How long fossil fuel reserve worldover is expected to last?

Question

Fossil fuel reserve may be limited in quantity.With increased usage of this fuel, the world may run out of this.Today almost majority of machines are run by fossil fuel or its derivatives.What if world runs out of this source? Do we have alternate sources to depend on?Are they commercially available and at affordable rate?

Answer 1

The estimate of remaining fossil fuel reserves is continuously reestimated. People have been warning of a run-out of oil in "the next 20 years" for the last forty years.

The extent of oil reserves remaining is a controversial subject on which trillions of dollars and the fate of nations hang. With such a situation, anything said about the subject must be taken with a grain of salt. With so much on the line, even geology textbooks and research may be faked to skew numbers in one or the other direction.
I will surely get thumbed-down or flamed but here goes:
A very accomplished scientist (don't remember his name) stated a highly controversial theory which suggests that oil did not originate with the dinosaurs, but instead has been on earth all along and rises to higher levels from a layer close to the mantle. I read some of this and it made some sense.

Returning to what is certain, coal deposits are very, very extensive. Replacements for oil products can be synthesized readily from coal.

Although it entails the disposal of radioactive waste, nuclear fission could keep civilization going for some time, economically. There are some new proposals for high-security management of waste and a discovery of *chemical* methods of accelerating the electron-capture mode of radioactive decay (electrons forced, by *chemical* reactions to approach the nucleus, facilitating e-capture in nuclides that decay in that mode).

Nuclear fusion of deuterium with deuterium (the non-radioactive hydrogen in "heavy-water") has not been commercially demonstrated, although some ultra-short lab runs have been accomplished. Magnetic-field confinement has solved the problem of how to contain the super-hot plasma.
If perfected, fusion could make enormous amounts of energy, with no substantial pollution of any kind generated.
Development of fusion technology would be the best thing the human race has ever done for itself.

Because of rising population and attendant global economic productivity rises, our need for energy will grow exponentially. With exponential growth, the end will approach so rapidly that some degree of chaos is likely. A good analogy I have heard is that of a culture of bacteria in a bottle, doubling every minute. At one minute until noon, the culture has only filled half the bottle. But one minute later, their need for room doubles, so the bottle is full!

Fossil-fuels are so loaded with energy and the best feedstock ever for the production of all kind of goodies such as plastics that alternative fuels are ridiculously inept.

Solar photovoltaic panels and heating panels are probably the most feasible solution available *immediately*.
If you consider the situation, you will come to the conclusion that no matter what else is done, every single roof in the world should be completely tiled with those panels, and perhaps even the entire surface of buildings and cars.
The panels will come no where near meeting all the energy needs we have right now, but their widespread use could show people how they could come close to *personal* energy self-sufficiency.
With no power bill to pay, the enthusiasm for saving money and the environment could persuade large numbers of people to convert to efficient living as a new life-style.

Proposals such as CA governor Schwartznegger's (to convert cars to hydrogen) are absurd propaganda to make people feel good, and nothing more. Although hydrogen would be a lovely energy-currency thirty to fifty years from now, hydrogen must, at present, come from nuclear or fossil-fuels. Even though hydrogen can come from ordinary water and lots of electricity, at the end of the process you have more global warming and more depletion of energy reserves. Just switching to hydrogen now will only dig civilization in deeper. Hydrogen is something to work on later, once we have a large, stable and cheap electricity source.

So the most immediate concerns should be the very-large scale implementation of solar, improvements in coal-mining technology, fusion R&D and fission-waste disposal R&D.

Answer 2

As per Most Scientific Calculations , Fossil Fuel Reserves may last another 100 odd years . But they won't finish just one day . It would be a gradual process and there are still many Reserves which have not been tapped . Hopefully Renewable Energy Resources - Wind,Solar Power , HydroPower , GeoThermal Power would become more Commercially and Economically Viable within next 50-60 years and Human's dependence on Fossil Fuels shall decrease .

Answer 3

There have been predictions of the world running out of fossil fuels for 50 years are more. None of those predictions have been correct.

Of course, I assume you realize that when you use the term fossil fuels then you are including coal. There are still huge reserves of coal all over the world. Also although there are economic and environmental concerns, in time it could be that oil shale will be allowed to be developed. The reserves of oil from shale exceed all of the middle east oil reserves!!

Finally, what makes something affordable? Many would say we could not afford $60 a barrel oil but we have shown that we can. One of the biggest problems with things like gasoline from coal or oil from shale is the need for a stable price.

Answer 4

As of this year, oil production has peaked. From now it is a slow decline and prices will increase as a result. It is true that we can derive fuels from coal for which we have much more of. The problem is that if we use this carbon for fuel, then CO2 levels will not just cause runaway greenhouse effects, but the CO2 concentration would mean that the air is poisonous to animal life. Having vast reserves of coal is therefore just half of the story.

We will never run out of oil, some more can always be squeeze out of the Earth at a price, just as it's not possible to squeeze the last bit of toothpaste out of the tube.

Answer 5

the fossil fuel will not last more than 50 years . but as my friends said up there don't worry . till the sun is up there we will live . did you know that ? all the energy sources that are exist on the earth are some how depends on sun energy ! but of course if we lose the fuel we will have a problem first place but we will get use to it !

Answer 6

The fact is, fossil fuel's will be with with us until the planet dies. This is due to the fact that they are reproducing themselves day by day. The cost of extracting them is the pit fall,so there for approx 50 to 60 years time is run out forecast!
Alternative energy sources are being looked into now,IE,wind,solar and tidal power, but are we going fast enough ? Only time will tell I won't be here, so who cares,

Answer 7

We have another couple of hundred years worth, yet, and haven't even tapped it all.

There are pleanty of alternatives. Brasil went to E85 and is totally energy independant.

Thing is, no one has put any effort into making the alternatives viable.

I'm buying a Kawasaki KLR-650 soon. 90 MPG. I'll drive the car on rainy days only, or when I have to go shopping.

Answer 8

Saudi Arabia has a new oil field just being developed in the Empty Quarter that has PROVEN reverves of 200 yrs at the present rate of world use.......

Source: Worked in KSA when the field was found

Answer 9

Hey it will exist max of 60 years. This is the calculated year by scientist. That is the reason why all the countries are investing in finding alternative source of energy

Answer 10

i would think more than 10,000 years ,, the most reserves we know now are not than 0.00001 % ,, as we know also still alot of oceans fuel reserves are not discovered yet and that represent more than 4 time of the land in the earth ,and our technology still disable to produce that so good future waiting for us