Can you believe how much energy we waste?

Question

I'm in the middle of a project for college here. Some interesting facts: Oil production peaked in the mid seventies, natural gas production will peak in 2020, the most efficient engine we use at the moment is the diesel engine which is approx 40% efficient for the fuel put in to the work done. Renewable energy (solar, wind, tidal, etc) still only accounts for a tiny percentage of the energy we use! We are totally screwed! We still breed like rabbits and still don't treat the world responsibly! At this rate the world will be out of resources within 100 years, by then we'll HAVE to use renewable sources of energy but the pollutants that will exist then will have completely b*ggered up the planet! Any thoughts?

Jeez Kev, that's a bit harsh, not getting any? In fact they reckon the population will increase and hold at approximately 10 billion by 2050. We are indeed using more oil than ever but the overall number of SOURCES of oil has not been increasing since the seventies. Read the question and don't make assumptions. Live and let live. And lose the superior attitude.

Answer 1

Hey T M Good Question.

Have a look at [Link 1] I think it will help flesh out your project.

Focusing in on the population curve: have you wondered why it's shown to flatten out (sigmoid growth)? And more importantly do you believe that it will simply flatten out? [Link 2 & 3]

I think we're in for a bit of boom and bust regards global population levels. Declining fertility rates (not contraception) and lack of access to basic requirements (clean food and water) will eventually mean that the population will reach equilibrium - a starvation equilibrium. But declinig natural resources, shifting enironmental conditions, competition for scarsening resources and habitable areas (leading to wars - and we've seen that in Iraq already) combined with the environmental impact of global warming; put all this together and I recon we're headed for a population crash.

Best wishes LT

PS: Making statements that could possibly be construded as acknowledging the bleeding obvious, namely that we are trashing the planet big time and that we are, for example responsible for global warming - is a rather contentious area and as you have seen with at least one respondent, likely to lead to a 'naysyaer' back lash. Don't be put off - you're spot on with your observations - and remember the debate on environmental issue has now moved on - the debate is OVER, we are screwing up the environment and behaving irresponsibly, that's now the offical position. However, for some people no matter how much evidence is brought forward, no matter how bad the weather gets or how many species go extinct, no matter how many people starve to death or are displaced from their homes due to rising sea levels or drought or other climatic changes, they'll never believe that it's us to blame - that's because they have alterior motives (namely vested self interest, greed and/or stupidity) which are over riding their morals (assuming they have any) and common sense (again assuming they have any).

Answer 2

You should invest some time learning a bit of economics, College Boy, that will help you think more intelligently.

Oil production very obviously did not peak in the 1970s. We use FAR more oil now than we did back then, and so worldwide oil producers produce more oil now that at any time in the past. (Did I really have to tell you that???)

We don't breed like rabbits. Did you read some hippie manifesto that hasn't been updated since 1968? Nowadays population experts understand that the demographic problem is low birthrates and the coming crisis of falling population, as the world population peaks and then declines during this century. World population will never again double, and in fact will only increase maybe 30% or so before the decline starts -- if that. Population is already falling or right at the edge of the cliff in Japan, Germany, Italy, Spain, South Korea, Russia, and much of Eastern Europe.

I could write a long paper just to correct your brainless rant, but in general I'll leave it at, you need to understand there are costs and benefits to everything, and people tend seek the most economically productive solution. This fact allows you to be rich enough to go to college, even though you don't seem to be terribly bright, and this explains why people do such seemingly crazy things as use cheap gasoline instead of ludicrously expensive and ineffective solar panels on their cars, stuff like that.

Answer 3

When I was in school (what feels like a long time ago) scientists said that oil & gas would have run out by the beginning of the new millenium - it didn't. I'm not saying it's not all going to run out at some point or denying the fact that we are a very wasteful nation, but don't focus on the numbers so much. They change all the time.

The pollutants put into the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution are already showing signs of 'buggering up' the planet. The warming trend has already caused severe weather all over the world. It is a process that has already started & even completely stopping the use of fossil fuels right now wiould not stop the warming trend. Future emissions will only add to what is already happening.

Answer 4

Yes I can believe it. I spent 15 years supplying it. And the last five trying to figure out why.

What you are talking is a bunch of things, but the main one seems to be energy conversion efficiencies, which do range between 30-90%. (30% for an internal combustion engine converting chemical energy to heat energy to differential pressure to kinetic energy - 90% for a furnace converting chemical energy to heat energy). The more conversions in the process, the less efficient it is overall. This is why new technologies such as fuel cells are more efficient, fewer energy conversions from fuel to end product, as well as being cleaner technology than the alternatives

I feel like we are totally screwed too if the government doesn't get off its buttt and build a physical and legal infrastructure which supports an alternative to our dependence on fossil fuels.

We need to harness all the excess heat in the biosphere and we need people like you to come up with exciting and benign new technologies to do it. I hope what you have learned has emblazoned you to develop your passion for this topic into a lifetime career.

And I believe that your addendum is 100% accurate too, Kevin the Stud needs to get laid more than any other i-net virgin I've come across. He may think he is the next Steven Colbert, but he has neither the brains nor the balls to pull it off. He did have a point that you cannot depend on past models to determine the future, the marketplace is changing ... you are the market and you are changing, believing in new things, accepting new ideas.

Kevin may be angry because he feels helpless to change what is happening so he has to try to attack you because you are facing the problem directly. He won't be the only one in your life, don't let it get to ya.

Answer 5

I was told about the ozone layer, pollution, the greenhouse effect, the disaster of no fossil fuels and climate change when I was 11 and at school. We were told by 2025 the rain forests would be gone and the weather would be 10 degrees warmer in the uk. By 2050 we were told the world would be uninhabital.- that is if we didnt wipe ourselves out in wars over fuel. (and they wonder why kids bunk school!)

It triggered depression for which I suffer/ed for many years. It was the fact that no one was doing anything about it that got me.

I am now 25 and although still scared and overwhelmed by it all, I am pleased that at least they have notice it and are doing some thing. I wish it were more but at school it almost seemed we were being prepared to die early of heat exaustion and floods.

Answer 6

Pandora's box has already been opened and we will never be able to shut it again. That is, we are now so much accustomed to the current life environments such as the standard of life and the diet and convenience of modern society, that it would be absolutely impossible for us to live without them.

The point is if we are ready to protect our environment and save the limited natural energy sources, we must be prepared to abandon the all modern convenience and "luxuries".

In this sense, what we are doing here (using Internet and doing other things) is also wasting precious energy.

It really seems to be Catch 22!!

Answer 7

Hahaha, you will have a factor there. isn't area of the factor of atheism disagreeing with human beings preaching at human beings and forcing stuff on human beings? it rather is a tad bit contradictory while non secular atheists carry forth the be conscious. i'm no longer a theist myself, yet I nevertheless do no longer flow around preaching at human beings the way some atheists that declare they hate faith do i might, even nonetheless, prefer to substantiate for the income of the different answer-ers: you're touching on a particular group of atheists, no longer stereotyping the group as an entire, confident? i might prefer to have faith you're. rather nonetheless, some human beings could be only as pushy via fact the main obstinate theists.

Answer 8

We're not wasting any energy! We have all the energy in the world! Haha, it's true. The Law of Energy Conservation: Energy can neither be created, nor destroyed. However, it can be changed.

Just thought I should mention that. But yes, we do use up our useful energy quite a lot and should do something about it.

Answer 9

It's not like we're going to run out of fossil fuels. As it gets more scarce, the prices will rise and that will create incentives to develop alternative sources of energy.

Answer 10

More than 900% if one man drive a car. more than 200% if 6 people in a car.
Buses will be little more efficiency.