Oil, is it important?

[Zhuge_Liang]

I know that this is like insane but really, is oil important? Many alternatives are there like biofuel, ethanol, etc. Some says that oil will ran out by 2040. Is this true?

 

[Trajan12]

There is currently nothing that could be produced on so massive a scale as to replace oil. So for now, yes it is. Unless I've been sleeping too long...

 

[skadistic]

It is only because the infrastructure is already in place to refine it. Oil isn't just gas and other fuels. Plastics are made from oil too. All these things can be made from renewable sustainable flora crops but the will nor the underlying strategic setups exists to get it out to market in vast quantities.

 

[Zhuge_Liang]

But what if oil will ran out?

 

[bhsup]

Oil in the 70s was known to be on the brink of running out no later than...a few years ago.

Known reserves are higher now than ever and more is constantly being found. And this doesn't even touch the vast majority of the ocean floors where technology will eventually allow us to drill. So no, we are in absolutely no danger of running out of oil anytime soon at all.

And yes it is important. Ethanol cannot help make plastics, for example.

 

[Bill3000]

But what if oil will ran out?

Then we'd find another fuel?

 

[skadistic]

But what if oil will ran out?

Then the will to change will be enough and the needed work will be done. But oil will be around for a while. And before it totally dries up the switch will have taken place. Corporations want to squeeze every last penny they can out of oil.

 

[skadistic]

And yes it is important. Ethanol cannot help make plastics, for example.

Ethanol and plastics can both be made from crops. Just like gasoline and plastics can both be made from oil.

 

[Integral]

Oil is exceedingly important because it is cheap relative to other energy sources. As oil becomes more scarce, prices will rise, and its relative position will fall. Once prices get high enough, one of two things will happen:

(1) More people will look for, drill, and refine oil, to cash in on the higher price; this greater supply will push down oil prices

(2) More people/governments/corporations will invest in alternative sources of energy, since their usefulness increases when the price of oil increases.

So, the best solution for high oil prices is...high prices.

-Integral

 

[bhsup]

Sorry, but I am not keen on food being used for fuels anyway.

 

[Leonel]

They said oil would run out in 2000. It'll perhaps run out sooner or later but it probably won't be for quite a long time.

Frankly I like the idea of using vegetable oil to fuel diesel cars. My dad really likes the idea and has been doing all sorts of research into perhaps getting one or outfitting a diesel car with it.

 

[skadistic]

Sorry, but I am not keen on food being used for fuels anyway.

Food wouldn't be used for fuel. A sustainable bio-source wouldn't be made from food crops. Unless you want to eat switch grass. The only food crops that are good for bio-fuel is sugar beets or sugar cane. Sugar beets can be grown year round in layers in green houses planting vertically not horizontally in a hydroponic set up. This would have a minimal impact on food prices.


CORN IS NOT THE ANSWER!!!!!!!

 

[Zhuge_Liang]

I'd like to see vegetable oil as the main fuel for the lift offs of space shuttles.

If oil will ran out, then we'll find another planet that have it. Humans must conquer the final frontier!!!!!

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

I'd like to see vegetable oil as the main fuel for the lift offs of space shuttles.

My bet's on methane.

 

[warpus]

Known reserves are higher now than ever and more is constantly being found. And this doesn't even touch the vast majority of the ocean floors where technology will eventually allow us to drill. So no, we are in absolutely no danger of running out of oil anytime soon at all.

We'll have problems when the amount of demand & consumption > the amount of oil we can extract. The first is going up, the second is going down. There will be problems at some point, and it's going to happen decades before oil runs out.

 

[Jawz II]

Oil, is it important?

Only if your gonna make a tasty humus.

Or drive cars..

 

[Disenfrancised]

Oil in the 70s was known to be on the brink of running out no later than...a few years ago.

People often cite this, but weren't the 'Peak Oilers' of the 70s talking about US production (which has indeed declined)?

Also we will never run out of oil (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_depolymerization), the problem is the cost of getting oil (by whatever means) is going to increase as easily accessible deposits run out, and more people want it. That increased cost is going to have large effects throughout the global economies (plus give tin-pot authoritarians a bargining chip).

 

[stormbind]

I don't know. Humans are incredibly stupid. There is probably a cheaper, easier, safer, and healthier solution right under our noses and we don't see it because we aren't trained to.

Pigeons are more succesful than us. At least they don't destroy their planet.

Aargh... why was I born a human. It's so disheartening to know I'm one of us!

 

[Zhuge_Liang]

I read the aticle in wiki and though we won't ran out.......... IT WILL TAKE MILLIONS OF YEARS to produce another pack of oil, namely oil in its natural form.

 

[Zhuge_Liang]

Oh sorry but I'm referring this naturally like letting nature work itself.