when will the world finally give up the use of oil?
147441
Actually, not when the oil runs out, but rather when the folks running the system can't make money anymore...as if that's gonna happen.
1073035
no such thing as endless oil.  Sooner or later will run out.
88303
How about we just stop driving cars that give less than 20 miles/gallon? That will accomplish just as much as alternative energy and it's probably easier. \n\n\nBy the way, can you guess the 5 countries that we get most of our oil from?\n\nWould you have guessed Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, and Nigeria are 4 of the top 5? Saudi Arabia is the only Middle Eastern country in the 5 (at #3).\n\nThat last comment is exactly why it can't happen. People aren't willing to sacrifice the looks of a car in order to lessen our dependence on oil. Everyone wants someone else to solve their problems instead of doing something about it themselves. Typical.
1107645
Quite simply NO that is not true.  There is plenty of oil and gas left.  Enough to last your lifetime and probably most of your kids lifetime.  However, the rate at which countries like China and India and other emerging economies are growing there is going to a strain on current levels of production.  This is why there is a huge amount of activity in the exploration and drilling sector right now, we see this future demand and are working to compensate.  However there are countries like the USA and Britian that consume much more than they produce, and the majority of their fields are depleted or on the down hill slope.  This is why they must forge alliances, you didn't think they fight these wars just in the name of freedom, but that's another question.  This is also why Bush has given the go ahead to drill in Alaska.  We know where almost all the oil and gas is, now it's just a matter of getting it out of the ground.  But we don't want to flood the market, because then everyone will think they can use as much as they want.  Then there is the politics, pipelines,environment,etc.  It's a delicate balance.  Any way, Saudi Arabia is the largest producer of hydrocarbons and still has the largest reserves.  Canada has the second largest reserves, but it is hard to produce because it is mostly tar sands.  Iran is third(friendly with China), Kuwait is fourth, Iraq is fifth(soon to be friendly with USA) others among top ten Nigeria, Venesuala, and others I remember off the top of my head.  In the future alternative fuels will have to be researched and put into common use.  Some of these we see already, such as hybrid cars, fuel cells, corn oil,processed fish fat can burn in diesel engines.  Nuclear fuel will be used for everyday power, solar power is not practical, takes up to much room, wind power is only practical on a small scale, and they need to be where it's windy, and since you lose power when it travels down lines, only windy places can utilize wind turbines.  My personal favorite is hyrogen power.  Although to volitile with current technology, it is abundant, powerful, and emission free.  By product is pure water.  All these will come to be as future governments covet what's left of the natural resources and we think about the environment a little more.  But there will be oil and gas to heat your homes and run your cars for many years to come.  So long as you got the money to fill the tank.
368531
No. I think it affects the whole world. Oil is a global necessity.
40580
They say "No blood for oil".\n\nIn the west we have become totally dependent on oil.  Not just to take our sweethearts on dates, but to survive. Take a typical city of 3-4 million.  How do you get thousands of tons of food in daily?  With a horse & cart?  Switch to electric vehicles?  They have to be re-charged from fuel-fired power stations.  The math is the same.\n\nOil IS our blood.  We just haven't felt the desperation yet.  Check a 70's video "3 days of the Condor"
1096610
No, because it can be produced without petroleum as it was for thousands of years before we invented the combustion engine. People will always try to survive, they wont just lay down and die because they cant but some diesel in the tractor.
646995
Not in the next 50 years.  Ever since we started using oil commentators have been saying it's about to run out.
766758
It is kinda hard to answer this because it is very opinionated but i think it will be rather soon because of the Oil Crisis. eventually the oil rich contries will be over run but oil hungry nations that haven't prepared for a huge shift such as the loss of oil. Eventually war will break out over it and the allience system will kick in much like WWII.
1172267
Right at this time, the Middle Eastern Nations provide and control the majority of today's oil. Unfortunately, the next 20 years will probably be provided by the same source (for the western world that is unless alternative means are initiated). Other parts of the world do have ample resources to assist in providing oil for the rest of the world. Countries such as Venezuela, Mexico, Russia and even Canada and be self sustaining in this area and the United States is currently purchasing oil from these areas. Canada has a vast reserve underground in what is called "Oil Sands" where the oil is actually trapped in sand which makes it a grainy like tar. It is very costly (at this time) to extract the oil from the sand.
1056073
It is a real concern, but whenever someone makes a prediction about when a country of the world will reach peak oil output, they do so with what then is considered a researve.  As the cost of a barrel of oil increases, sources for oil that were once not considered a researve then become on because at that cost it is economically viable to recover it.  With the recent spike in oil prices, North America can now clasify the tar sands in Canada and the oil shales in Colorado oil researves, and that being the case, it is estimated that in the US alone, we now have more economically recoverable oil then Saudi Arabia, the worlds largest exporter.  As the price continues to increase, other marginal sources will become economically viable.  Sooner or later, we will reach a point where there simply isn't enough oil available for any price, but that is still a ways off yet.  I believe that before we reach that point, oil will be more expensive then alternate fuel sources.  Through simple economics, I believe that people will begin using these alternate fuels simply because they are less expensive.  I believe that the high cost of oil will spawn invention and inovation into the energy sector, and I believe that has already begun.  We are working on increasing production of biodiesels and ethenol, and there is increased research into fuel cells and electric autos.  I think the future lies in hydrogen burning technology personally.  We already have engines that burn Hydrogen, but we're still working on the fuel tank dilema.  So, for a long answer, I believe that there is and will be time. I'm looking foward to being put out of buisiness.
93927
It's really not a matter of whether you believe in peak oil or not. It is just a matter of fact that anytime you are using a natural resource at some point you will have used up half of all that is available. As to when that half way point will occur, we have to wait and see. As is usually the case, we will not know exactly when it has happened until we can look back at the historical data.
427031
The world system as you know it will end with fire. It will burn up. In other words it will be recycled just as anything is that is burned with fire, changed and put to another use.\n\nIs that simple enough. When, only God knows. \n\nThe nice thing is you do not have to worry about it because there is a way out for you. Read a bible in your native tongue and find the answer. If you can not email me. cjkeysjr@yahoo.com.ph and I will give you my opinion as simple as I can in such a way a little child can understand. That is a promise. \n\nAfter that the rest is up to you to do or not do OK.
99297
#4.  I think we need to do something about our dependence on oil period (not Canola or oils of that nature).  It's wrecking the planet and it's not going to be around forever.
1152081
global oil conglomerates aka the cookie monster, greed at it's most BASIC element.  The internal combustion engine has been obsolete since the 1950s.  Oil companies this year have set record profits, so much so  that the US government is  trying to figure out what to do about it.  Renewable energies equates to no profits these companies will sooner shove oil down our throats(WW III) rather than to allow renewable energies to become main stream.  Look for the US government to lead the world into a global government!!!!!
206517
Years ago, I thought, "What this country needs is a Presidential mandate to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil, the way Kennedy said 'Let's reach the Moon by 1970.'."\n\nThe problem is, eliminating our dependence on foreign oil isn't as romantic and adventurous as going to the Moon. But I'm glad the President finally did put it in those terms. \n\nWe have large oil reserves, why don't we use our own? Part of the reason is that our oil reserves are high-sulfur-content oil, while oil from other parts of the world have lower sulfur content. The sulfur content directly affects how much sulfur gets into the atmosphere, resulting in sulfur dioxides and acid rain. \n\nSo buying foreign oil has been a means of keeping pollution lower-- not low low, but lower than it would have been otherwise. \n\nWhat is going to happen with the new push to reduce or eliminate dependence on foregin oil? There will be many changes, these are just a few. \n\n1) There will be much more energy efficient cars, like the hybrids. These won't eliminate our need for oil and gas, you say? True, but they will reduce it. That is a step in the right direction,and only the first step.\n\n2) Biodiesel and fuel cell and solar. These will all be used, more and more as time goes on. \n\n3) Make electical power generation more efficient and make tools and apliances (industries and homes) that use less electricity. \n\n4) There will be an influx of students into the fields of chemistry and engineering and all the sciences. New energy sources and processes will be developed. And those are just the most obvious changes that will happen.\n\nSome people are dissatisfied with this, they would like to see the energy companies eliminated or reduced to poverty. In some cases, this may be due to jealousy of 'obscene' profits. But if American companies weren't making those profits, Arabian nations would be making those profits, so let's keep the wealth here where it enhances our own standard of living instead of someone else's. The energy companies are doing what companies do: providing goods and services that people want at a mutually-agreed-upon price.\n\nIf the people do not want to pay large prices for oil and gas, the oil companies will eventually have to adjust their prices if they want to stay in business. The above changes listed will cause this to happen:\n\n1) Reduced use of oil and gas by hybrids will require the manufacturers to seek new ways of producing it more economically. \n\n2) Competition from biodiesel, fuel cells and solar will compel the gasoline manufacturers to diversify or cut back on their operations. \n\n3) Reduced use of electricity will result in huge savings of oil and gas that would otherwise be burned to generate it.\n\n4) The influx of young students into the engineering fields will stimulate the growth and development of new technologies, leading to new industries. \n\n(Already, the Internet is saving huge amounts of fuel, because rapid communications leads to less need for transportation. This is a result that could not have been foreseen in the 60's when lots of students fell in love with space flight and science and technology.)\n\nThat great surplus of engineers led directly to the computer revolution because engineers are the working capital of innovation in industry. We could not have developed computers without the necessary engineering infrastructure and the personnel base. Now, hopefully, that will happen again. \n\nWe do not know what the Next Big Thing is going to be. But there will be one.\n\nIn addition to the economic situation here, there is the financial and political situation around the world to continue. America's enemies in oil-producing lands deserve to have their source of income cut off. Why should we pay them for oil when that moey is eventually used to attack us? Improving American independence from oil will hit them where they will feel it. And as the
497047
I think we are going to run out of crude oil.  We have such a need for it, that we will be in a lot of trouble.