If oil is used up, what can we do?

If oil is used up, what can we do?

The current global oil consumption is about 3.9 billion ton/year. We rely on oil in two big things: energy and basic organic raw materials.

The world energy consumption, if counting in oil equivalent, is about 12.5 billion ton/year, various sectors of which are crude oil (32~36%), coal (~ 28%), natural gas (~ 24 %), nuclear (~ 5%), biomass ( ~3.5%), hydraulic (~ 3%), and all other forms (~ 1%, such as solar heat, wind, geothermal, tidal, biofuels, and photovoltaic energy altogether). We can see, about 1/3 of our energy is provided by oil. We are talking about using biofuel, using photovoltaic devices, blah, blah… But we need to know, this two comprise only less than a half percent of our current energy consumption.

As for basic organic raw materials, oil plays a more important role. Today, over 95% of basic raw materials are from the petroleum industry (ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene, toluene, and xylene). If we include other less important organic raw materials, oil industry still provide over 75% of them, with the rest from coal, natural gas, and biomass.

People are also aware of peak oil, and even worse, worrying about the complete depletion of oil. Many experts estimate that the time for peak oil is coming soon. Based on certain models, some even say that the peak oil year is Year 2010. Assuming this is correct, how can we deal with it?

Firstly, we need to save, for example, use more public transportation or carpooling instead of always driving a car. Secondly, we need to raise our energy efficiency, which calls for technological innovation. Thirdly, we need to search, develop alternative sources of oil. Alternative fuels include synthetic oil from coal through direct or indirect liquefaction of coal, LNG as transportation fuel, bioethanol, biodiesel, and more. But, what if crude oil is totally depleted? And even worse, what if coal and natural gas also almost consumed up many, many year in the future?

It is estimated that methane clathrates (ice methane or hydrated methane). We might need to develop ways of economically collect this part of energy source. But ultimately, , we have to input much more to achieve breakthrough for new energy sources. For example, we have to rely on more solar energy utilization and in nuclear fusion in the future. These two can provide almost infinite energy sources for us humankind.

How about basic organic raw materials? A huge challenge. If oil is gone, we have to rely on coal and natural gas for organic species. Of course, biomass should also be a complement. It would appear we were going back to history when petroleum industry had not been boosted, as if we were back at the situation 100 years ago. But what if we carelessly consumed all the fossil materials?

That, certainly, is a miserable assumption. In that case, we have to rely solely on carbonates (which is abundant in the earth’s crust) and carbon dioxide (which is mainly in the atmosphere). We can use chemical reactions to synthesize organic species such as the following:

CO2 + H2  Methanol, ethanol,
CO2 + H2  hydrocarbons

We can’t expect CO for these reactions because CO is from coal or natural gas and at that time even coal and natural gas are gone. Certainly, photosynthesis is doing similar jobs since billions of years ago to converting CO2 and H2O into carbohydrates and also the fossil fuel. Artificial photosynthesis should be attempted. However, these kind of reactions need huge energy input. It is only possible after we have breakthrough in solar energy utilization and nuclear fusion. Humankind, as a whole, needs to have breakthrough in the above fields. Otherwise, the future might see the extinct of Human Being. Even before the depletion of oil, the rivalry of oil between countries can well probably lead to world-wide wars to completely change the course of Human Being.

What can we do? Being pessimistic for the sake of being pessimistic won’t do any good. We need to be proactive. Proactively inputting more efforts for the future, we should be able to make breakthrough in both fields: solar energy utilization and nuclear fusion for energy (also for raw materials) and artificial photosynthesis for raw materials. In recent decades we have achieved a lot of progresses in the first two fields but less in artificial photosynthesis. We need more input and more progresses. But before the breakthrough is realized, we need to use our current resources in a more efficient way to buy us enough time.

Don’t just be pessimistic. Be proactive.

A couple of things come to mind, but I won't go into detail because they're both well beyond my understanding:

* Extracting oil out of coal (coal is something we have many hundreds of years worth yet)

* Getting helium 3 from the moon and using it in fusion reactors (that are yet to be invented, but would supply a virtually unlimited amount of energy)

Solar panels are only at around 10% efficient at converting light to energy, but that will improve.

The major thing that gets me is how society has been made to be dependent on the car. How many auto ads do you see where the guy in the hot car gets the girl? Or suggest you'll be more of a man? That's how intrinsically the car has been worked into our very psyche.

The oil companies killed the electric car when they first emerged in the 30s, imagine how far advanced they would be now, instead of engines that lose something like 70% of energy they produce as heat?

i fully agree on your opinion. We need to substantially change our life style to substantially save energy. Advanced nations also have more responsibilities to input more resources in research.

Rockefellers, standard oil etc. Tesla had it all worked out. But it wouldn't make anyone any money. So he was eliminated. Buy a good tent, a sub zero blanket, and do your homework on edible weeds.
I recently read we are 4% of population, yet use 25% of oil resources. Take your hummer and stuff it.

[edit on 29-2-2008 by jpm1602]

Oh no. We don't like edible weeds.

With a little kimchee tastes like chicken

OK. We'll be vegies. Or we might learn how to hunt.

How about this technique:
Famed geneticist creating life form that turns CO2 to fuel

Fourth-generation fuels for the win!

I sure believe that biological option should make a good contribution in finding new resources. Thanks.

Euclid avenue in cleveland ohio was once millionaires row. I find it absurd those golden spooners had their abodes demolished at death then bequeathed or sold.
The ultimate narcissists.
Affordable cost saving measures have been around for decades. Regenerative brakes on all vehicles , the lack of, is a heinous debacle. An occasional bunny on a spit would be nice. Bunny is yummy.
[edit on 29-2-2008 by jpm1602]

[edit on 29-2-2008 by jpm1602]

Hmm good post but there are now so many options to pick from. Personally i think the hydrogen cell battery will be the main power source in the future as its reusable and very powerful.

If you pass electricity through water you get hydrogen. When you burn hydrogen you get water and oxygen, meaning this engine would be great for space exploration and a good battery for planes and helicopters aswell as any other vehicles.

There is one very simple solution... and world government, the oil cartel, the manufacturers of the latest and greatest technology simply do not want you to have, because it is free, simple, and anyone can do it and most could grow their household need for fuel in a small yard.


Hemp Gasification Driven Engines


wood gassifier line synchronous generator pt1 (2 min) - Jan 14, 2008
www.youtube.com...

First run of a wood gassifier fueling an 8hp brigs powering a 1.5hp inductive motor.

1970's FEMA instructions to build your own:

www.gengas.nu...

keywords:

gassifier
gasifier
wood gas
biomass energy

Ford designed the model T to run on hemp, its body was to be made of pressed hemp fibre, its interior hemp cloth.


In ten years this world would be transformed if the roadsides grew tall with industrial hemp; which when harvested fuelled all the vehicles passing by.


Our climate once again regulated; no net carbon gain.
Our economy back in the hands of farmers rather than oil barons.
Our electricity produced locally and free.

On my knees lord so mote it be.

ascend,

Sri Oracle

(sri oracle is now the 900,001 person on the terrorist watch list and may get his post pushed over to ReallyATS or simply deleted for breaking the illusion of your enslavement and mentioning the evil leaf.)

The current global oil consumption is about 3.9 billion ton/year.

Paroketh

The current global industrial hemp cunsumption is about 3.9 billion ton/year.


[edit on 29-2-2008 by Sri Oracle]

umm i know its kind of nonsensible but how about we use that 12.5 billion for solar cells. 12.5 billion / 365 (days per year) pumped solar cells for every single house in the US or wherever could bring about enough power to probally make the country's houses at least run. 12.5 /365 meaning everyday another step towards SELF SUFFICIENCY.

Sure alot could go wrong in the year of trying to make things right but the sooner we start the better. from there all that extra energy and resource could be used to split H20 to H or O or whatever is needed to be fitted into cars.

Seriously I believe with all this crap that I read in HUGE BOLD LETTERS WITH EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!!!! on ATS that entices us to feel scared about all the crap is going on in the world TODAY could be ENDED IN ONE DAY if EVERYBODY (who owns runs country(s) ) just chooses to stop being ignorant, greedy, or downright evil in whatever the heck is going on and merely ATTEMPTS to do the right thing.

reply to post by fuelcell

I'm not sure if you saw the following article the other day, but when I saw your post, I immediately thought of this:

Titan's Surface Organics Surpass Oil Reserves on Earth

Saturn's orange moon Titan has hundreds of times more liquid hydrocarbons than all the known oil and natural gas reserves on Earth, according to new data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft. The hydrocarbons rain from the sky, collecting in vast deposits that form lakes and dunes.

Proven reserves of natural gas on Earth total 130 billion tons, enough to provide 300 times the amount of energy the entire United States uses annually for residential heating, cooling and lighting. Dozens of Titan's lakes individually have the equivalent of at least this much energy in the form of methane and ethane.

Here is the link from NASA:

www.nasa.gov...

Now of course, the obvious question is how could we possibly get it to earth. Probably an impossible task, given our current state of technology.
However, it does bring up an interesting point, namely that hydrocarbon creation must be relatively common in the universe.

Anyway, anybody have some imaginative ideas on how to get it here?

How about nobody buys anything that has travelled more than a 1000 miles. Or buys anything not made in your country AND will be disposed of in your country.

Slavery exists and every cheap non-North America made produce uses it.

Next stop being greedy -- no you don't need that Hummer to nip to the shops 2 blocks away.

With the GPS systems in cars Charge a tax on every mile a car travels with penalties for short journeys.
Thats on top of the doubling of the price of gas.

Helium 3 fusion seems to be a really cool technology in the long run, but who knows if it will pan out or not. Lets hope it isnt a repeat of the whole cold fusion debacle!

In the interim, how about using biomodified algae to produce biofuels? They have a growth rate that is exponential. If memory serves, they grow at a rate 28,000 times faster than even the fastest plant source of biofuel.

Or even using solar towers, and solar cell arrays to produce energy and hydrogen fuel cell technology for use in cars?

Originally posted by jpm1602
Euclid avenue in cleveland ohio was once millionaires row. I find it absurd those golden spooners had their abodes demolished at death then bequeathed or sold.
The ultimate narcissists.
Affordable cost saving measures have been around for decades. Regenerative brakes on all vehicles , the lack of, is a heinous debacle. An occasional bunny on a spit would be nice. Bunny is yummy.
[edit on 29-2-2008 by jpm1602]

[edit on 29-2-2008 by jpm1602]

Yes. There are many technologies for energy save. For example, nowadays they design buildings, especially tall/big buildings in a way to save and even recovery energy/heat etc. Some good habits of saving energy are pretty popular in Japan, because they import almost all of their oil.

Originally posted by Semoro
Hmm good post but there are now so many options to pick from. Personally i think the hydrogen cell battery will be the main power source in the future as its reusable and very powerful.

If you pass electricity through water you get hydrogen. When you burn hydrogen you get water and oxygen, meaning this engine would be great for space exploration and a good battery for planes and helicopters aswell as any other vehicles.

I worked on PEM fuel cells seveal years ago, so I like what your said about fuel cell.

Now we still have some obstacles for commercialization. I list a few: 1) first the fuel is too expensive now. The electricity from fuel cell is about 30 time expensive than that from power plant even compared at large scale electricity generation (say, Megawatt). 2) hydrogen storage and distribution is a problem (we might use in-situ methanol as fuel but the in-situ reforming is not easy). 3) the treatment of fuel to remove small amount of CO is a challenge. 4) the fuel cell device cannot be operated outside in cold weather. 5) The oxidation of the polymer membrane by oxygen radicals formed in the operation, etc....

Despite of all the problems, people are still working to improve this technology because it really shows us a lot of advantages.

Tbh i think fusion is the way forward. For energy generation. But what about plastics and what about planes? I cant see electric planes happening anytime soon.

Maybe planes will move on to hydrogen?

There are a number of ways to synthesize oil, none exactly that cheap. My opinion is that things that require oil would just become a lot more expensive.