How will the decline in the world's oil and natural gas supply impact humanity in the year 2020?
912031
It shouldn't...at least not in 2020.  There are enough oil supplies to last till 2050.  And we're still finding new oil fields.
282689
i think glaciers will be a lot less than there are now and we will have no oil and more species will be gone forever
1170147
Maybe never.  Back in the 1970s, everyone thought alternative energy is going to go through the roof.  The oil prices fell...
1121437
This very well may be the start.  If it is, there will be annihilation beyond comprehension. There will be a few survivors in remote areas who will repopulate the earth.\n\nThat is; after the earth heals itself.
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.
481176
it will run out quicker i no that but,the energy we use electricity, gas ,petrol will not last foreve that is fact so it dosent really matter
609126
The world will likely want more than it can get by 2020.\n\nGood! Maybe someone will finally get serious about a workable alternative!
646995
Not in the next 50 years.  Ever since we started using oil commentators have been saying it's about to run out.
376748
Wonderful question really.  "When will the Earth's fossil fuels run out?"  I have heard different estimates including in a few a decades, to a century.  Doesn't really matter now though does it. JESUS will return someday soon.  That is in the Bible.  That message was warned us from JESUS HIMSELF. Yet, in the here and now, if one wants a stable society without pandering to terrorists, supplying them with the money to build the bombs they want to use to destroy us, we need to end our dependency on foreign oil.  The only solution then is alternative renewable energy.  Solar Power, Batteries, Hydrogen, Fuel Cell technology.  Solutions such as Ethanol and Fuel additives are partial solutions which require often flexible engines that can use such fuels.  And it requires that we get oil tycoons, who have a vested monetary interest in current oil reserves to invest in and promote these technologies with incentives and the promise of future profits on their investments.  Yet, repent and prepare for the return of JESUS CHRIST, because he may return any day now.  Even today, be ready, everyday for that eventuality.  \n\n-LOVE YOUR NIEGHBOR AS YOURSELF
1154962
Of course, we're heading to the end of the world...in a few billion years, when the sun expands and consumes our planet along with the other inner planets. All life on this planet will be extinguished well before that happens. However, human beings may very well extinguish their civilization and themselves sometime in the next few centuries. The problem is not the science. Of course, many well-respected scientists have been speaking out on the problems humanity faces. While some, like James Lovelock, may think we have already passed the point of no return; other scientists argue that we are still within a narrow window of opportunity to halt and perhaps even reverse the destructive policies and technologies that are presently damaging the environment. \n\nThe real problem is humanity, its cultures, and its governments. Most people around the world still hold a world view based upon ideas that were held to be valid back in the Stone Age... many people even believe that some supernatural agency will rescue humanity and clean up the world as soon as things have gotten as bad as they can get. Meanwhile, most governments base their decisions upon corporate interests and upon national interests... thus more global problems and their solutions are pretty much ignored. Short-sightedness is the overwhelming curse of humanity and its institutions.\n\nLife will continue in one form or another on this planet, whether there are human beings there to observe said life or not.
600664
By then most people will agree that mankind will not be around. That is not the pessimists but now the optimists too. The question is how will this eventual demise arise? That will determine what the state of of the Earth will be in 1000 years. If the 'War on Terror' ends in nuclear holocaust then the Earth will be a barren land much similar to Mars is today. If global warming catches up with us then we will be in the middle of another Ice Age.\nThe alternative is that we humans, against all odds, do survive. In that case we will be living in a civilisation that is either as close to total anarchy as we can get without destroying ourselves or we will be in totalitarian state of control. Either way the future was stolen from our hands a long long time ago.
120099
wa! this is the era/generation that the earth shrank to a easy phonecall, google earth can how anyplace on earth to a 20 foot resolution, travel (govt withstanding) is fast & easy. the effects of religious adhesion will cause global conflict, travel will spread disease like never before, governments will tighten grips on all they can. economies are based on variables rather than substance (gold, silver,..)  for the 1st time ever humans have obvious effect on the earth on a global scale. the last 50 years have been profound beond our species. the next 100 will be detrimental.
561541
Try Reading the END OF OIL by Paul Roberts.\nIt'll run out a darn-sight sooner than we thought!\nOIL companies have/did lie about the amount of oil they have left.\nThe oil that is being pumped now has 2 go thru more refining than ever B4 & is down 2 the amount of Sea water they pump in 2 the fields.\nEverytime a alternative 2 oil is investigated the Oil companies surpress the data.  They R not going 2 give up on oil until every last drop has been extracted & no-one can predict exactly what affect this will have on the Planet. I'm sure that any warnings would proberly supressed by the oil companies 2.
980107
YES it is all about oil. It will not change unless there is a revolution or Revelation. Our children will continue to DIE to support the "status quo" failed petroleum policy of GWB and Company.\n\nRead the White House energy policy signed by Dick Cheney. Not much about getting out of the Oil Economy here:\nhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/energy/summaries.pdf
1144949
Absolutely.  There is plenty of oil, enough to last for 100's of years.  Actually if you look at it logically, we will never really run out of oil.  Supplies will dwindle, we will tap into other sources, like oil shale, and oil sand, but the production cots will go up.  Eventually we will get to a point, where the cost is high enough, to make alternative energy sources, profitable.  Once that happens, competition and the free market system will find a cheap efficient substitute, and we will leave oil usage to the third world.
202728
Probably never.  More likely, if humanity gets wiped out, it will be because of some devastating event like an asteroid strike.\n\nBut humanity, as a class, is very tenacious.
375511
your observation of current conditions go far beyond the political structure that our world suffers from Today.In brief, the answer to the first part of your question is 'Its already too late!" Our Environment is in total upheaval due to the persistent use of FOSSIL FUEL!! Global Warming is UPON us as we sleep, eat and make war....for the very product that will terminate Life as we know it...First of all,once the concept of Greed is comprehended ...We as a race might have a chance to not become exstinct. As it stands now, it doesnt look very good. Understanding the free worlds economy and realizing that it is controlled by the Petro Dollar.and the handful of people that own the Companies that produce Petroleum.Failure to keep the Petro Dollar afloat WILL and WOULD collapse the free world economy,  THIS is the POLITICAL Machine that decides whose Son or Daughter should be sacrificed to maintain a "Freedom" to breath foul air and watch our Planet slowly Die; Being ravaged by Hurricanes,Tornadoes,and Floods caused by the melting of our Polar caps.Once the Salinity content of our oceans deviate much more or the temperature should fluxuate (I believe its 4 Degrees Celsius) disrupting the food chain, we as a race of people should be issued a shovel the next time we fill our gas tanks ....so we can start digging our own graves....We are on the Precipice, and it IS serious,....but we as a people have a tendency to not want to hear this until its knocking at our door...I pray that we as a society will take note and a STAND and commit...your children and your grandchildren have the RIGHT to live in a world free of Toxic Gases we call 'AIR' that is generated by the handful of Petrol Sharks that keep us stuck from utilizing the technology that ALREADY exist to burn clean fuel  ...Sundancer