Assuming World population growth rate of 1.167% : How many years worth of World petroleum oil reserves are left?
2007-09-18 07:04:32 · 9 answers · asked by . 4 in Environment ➔ Global Warming
World poulation growth 1.167% per annum is a figure I obtained online
2007-09-18 07:09:20 · update #1
Please provide your sources or weblinks.
2007-09-18 07:15:00 · update #2
You'd need someone with a crystal ball to be able to give you an accurate answer.
Here's what we do know...
Current known reserves of oil will run out in about 30 years. It's estimated that there are about 20 years of as yet undiscovered reserves. On top of this there are substantial known deposits of tar-sands or bituminous sands, primarily in Canada and Venezuela. These will provide approx 50 years more supply.
Tar-sand is a heavy form of crude, contaminated with sand, clay and water. We already know of the existence of vast deposits of this but the extraction and refinement process is more complicated than for conventional oil and so they're been ignored for the time being.
The estimates don't allow for population growth but at the same time they don't allow for the increasing use of alternative energy sources.
If you look up 'tar-sands' you'll find a lot more info.
2007-09-18 09:23:54 · answer #1 · answered by Trevor 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No way to tell just from population growth rate. You need to know how many of those people are driving cars. And how much mileage those cars get. And what other things is oil used for? Aircraft? Electricity generation? Ships? Trains? Lawn mowers? Plastics manufacturing? How many people use those products. There are plenty of people in the world today who do not use ANY of those things, and many more who only use a small part of that. And how much oil is left in the world. We don't know any of that.
But the general opinion is that we have 100 years of oil left. That is just a guess though, nobody really knows.
2007-09-18 08:12:47 · answer #2 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry I don't have any links or sites but I Googled something along those lines and came across an article that said we only had 30 or 40 years left of our current fossil fuel oil . Then I read someones response that claimed, 'they' were claiming the same thing in the 70's and that we needed to lessen our dependency on foreign oil. But, the response was from some hyper anti-GW person trying to show how GW is all part of a big hype to scare everyone.
In short, I don't have the numbers but it seems changing our life-styles to become more energy efficient would be very beneficial in the long run.
2007-09-18 07:39:09 · answer #3 · answered by strpenta 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well would u believe never. Part of the plants recycling CO2 and gives us back the O2 ,the plants hold the C ,and as the leaves wash down to the delta where it will be recycled into oil & gas .
2007-09-18 08:36:43 · answer #4 · answered by JOHNNIE B 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If a little effort was applied to make oil it would never run out. All the oil humans need can be manufactured without any polution. But, no one knows how at this time even though its a simple process. It seems everyone is brain dead.
2007-09-18 09:37:11 · answer #5 · answered by jim m 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Nobody really knows exactly how much oil is down there, some of it we cant get to with today's technology, and some of it would just cost too much to get to.
Using it more efficiently would make it last longer too.
2007-09-18 07:39:29 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No one really knows.
But most people from what i have herd have said about 40 to 50 years. But don't quote me on it.
2007-09-18 08:12:26 · answer #7 · answered by ♥ Pompey and The Red Devils! 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
100 years. h
2007-09-18 07:10:54 · answer #8 · answered by Knick Knox 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Hundreds - We just lack the political will to take it.
2007-09-18 09:15:05 · answer #9 · answered by Dr Jello 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋