That's true, and it's possible the people who say we aren't going to run out may be confusing "thousands of years" with "forever". There is a difference. I see three outs to the situation, two of which would keep us from running out of oil for a long time.
1. An alternative to oil is found that fills its energy role and is much less expensive. Oil is only used where oil is specifically required.
2. The price rises dramatically when we don't have a good alternative, and consumption slows down.
3. We hit a wall in production and run out. The world goes Mad Max.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tonyw  I don't know how anyone can claim they're having an honest and informative discussion on oil if they don't accept the premise that there is a finite amount of oil.
There is not an infinite supply of oil like some people have suggested here. There's not an infinite supply of ANYTHING! |