Oils ain't oils
So like, now I'm confused.
A while ago, a friend of mine who works in the airplane industry said that the world only has about 10 years worth of petrol left. She's very environmental and smart and I quite trust the things she says.
On the weekend, one of my friends partner is an engineer who has worked on oil rigs and the like, said that actually heaps and heaps and heaps of oil left, that the world is actually covered in oil. He explained that the sands in Canada alone (which has been untouched because it's a hard and expensive process) have enough oil to keep the US going for 20 years. He basically said all these words about running out was to keep the price up - no one wants to flood the market.
So obviously, different organisations provide different information based on their own vested interests. Which I understand how that is happened, but surely in a whole planet of people measuring stuff, a completely independant research group has accurately calculated how much oil is still in the earth. Does anyone know of where I could find such information?
posted by Adam @ 11:24 AM
33 comments
33 Comments:
Well!
I was half watching The West Wing the other night and they had a faux live debate - part of it was about the environment. Basically, one dude was arguing to protect the wildlife and not drill around these parks, the other dude was arguing that they need to find out - they don't know what's there until they actually get in and look for it.
So perhaps there is no actual figure?
i think we should assume the worst - that there is only enough oil for the next 10 years... and then find an alternative, toot sweet.
just cause there's heaps of a particular resource, doesn't mean we have to completely exhaust it just cause we can... espesh when it's proven that it tres bad for la environment.
imagine how bad things would be if we did keep using oil like we are now for the next 20.. 30.. 50.. 100 years!
baaaad.
and i know this doesn't answer your question, but if you follow my theory, it kinda makes that question redundant.
dun cha think?
I think this is why there is so many debates about so many of these important issues, it's almost impossible to get plain, straight up, facts.
Big copanies can afford to find out, then they sort of spin the information for the purpose that serves them best, I think it's extremley difficult to get unbiased information for a source that has an interest (financial or otherwise) in the issue.
So all that was really just me bangning on, and the short answer is no, I have no idea where to get accurate, unbiased information.
ask Kiki.
Well, OPEC (the legal cartel of Mideast oil producers) doesn't reveal how much oil they have, hence they control the price.
Also, if you look up how oil is extracted, you'll see it's not like an underground lake, but is contained porously within sediment (or rock or whatever. Great explanation I know, but this is how I understand it.) So, lots of oil isn't extractable by current methods, at least if they want to make a profit. And they just figured out how to make money extracting oil from the Canadian sands, so...who knows?
I'm kinda with Mars on this. It's bad for the environment generally to use petrol. And like any rare commodity it causes a lot of political and social strife. If we found a clean, green alternative, then it wouldn't matter if there was plenty of oil or not. And if we had an alternative earlier, Iraq wouldn't have become so destabilized, the atmosphere wouldn't be impregnated with heavy metals.
But, frankly, influential and wealthy lobbyists aren't going to let that kind of research get off the ground.
So, in answer to your question, I have no idea.
The nail-head you've identified has the word 'independent' stencilled on it.
A fully independent study has never been commissioned because the parameters could never be agreed.
For example, the US petrochemical industry says there's LOADS of oil in Alaska and Antartica.
Should these locations be included in the search? - Now there's a question that no vested interest (on either side of the fence) could agree upon.
I don't think anyone knows how much oil Venezuela has but for sure they're the richest oil nation in The Americas - which is why the Bush administration is trying to overthrow Chavez.
Vested interests... just look at Iraq.
TT.
Sort of the same concept with the diamond market. The stuff is abundant enough to make it cheap as dirt, but 4 families control most of the industry and product which makes it a huge expense.
However, they are both right on some levels. Scientists do believe there is a lot of oil left..however how to find it and how to excavate the oil is another story entirely. Oil means nothing if you don't have the means or technology to get at it. Which makes our sources somewhat limited. However, oil is also being held by those few Saudi families who stockpile it and run up prices.
And when something like oil is such an international and volatile commodity, it is difficult to find a study that gives an objective examination. Same sort of concept with global warming..we know its t here but getting people to agree on it, is a chore.
Dear Adam
FYI
the largest natural gas deposits in the world are actually off the coast completely within australia's borders
AND
the largest oil deposits in the world are underneath antarctica
both of which are mostly untouched
the reason the natural gas hasn't been drilled is basically because it is so much cheaper than oil that they're waiting for oil to run out a bit (like never) so that the price goes up
antarctica hasn't been drilled because nobody will let it happen, but they can still club baby seals
see? kiki always has the answers.
i'm a japanese pond of information, complete with carp
are you going to space camp?
Hello!
This work is very good, thenk you
have nice wkend
is david santos new-wave spam?
he's been raping many of late (the last two days) with the same comment, bad spelling / grammar included
P.S You need to update.
We've had this talk :)
UPDATE FARKIN'
Just take one for the team, Adam.
Get your little computer out of the cupboard, attach those internet wires and UPDATE YOUR FREAKIN' BLOG!
Oh yeah - oils... I concur.
-Jac
leave the poor guy alone!
jesus, can't a man have any peace and quiet?
OMG!! It's your last day of work in Brisbane, are you sad?
You should be, no more hanging with the Brisbane Bloggers after tomorrow, that alone should be enough to make you cry yourself to sleep.
Are you there, mister?
Bye, Ninja! I hope you and the rock star have a good flight home.
Hopefully living back in Melbs will be more conducive to you updating more often.
See you soon(ish) on your own home turf, the tables have turned :)
I think Adam is dead.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SPEAK OUT AGAINST GOVERNMENT DECISIONS, PEOPLE.
Also, I hate baby seals anyway.
Come back, Adam. We miss you.
Meva does not represent me.
(Although I kinda miss you too, big guy.)
i didn't read your whole post... i didn't read all the comments. but all i can say here is 'common sense'. do you think that, honestly , we can abuse the world and use up all its resources and still be able to just keep on going??
c'mon.. we hit the limit somewhere. and even if we - as in our generation - have enough to live on for our lifetime, how the hell can we be so selfish to take this life away from our future generations???
common sense... limits.... sharing... i hope that gives you some inspiration :)
I didn't read all of that, ShinyRuby2. Could you re-post in fewer words? I'm a really busy guy. No time to read!
something about 'common sense' bevis. sounded a lot like bullshit to me
So we've established that you are alive, there was no plane crashes or canibals to worry about and you are indeed resettled back in Melb, which leads to the question everyone is asking...
DUDE, WHEN WILL YOU UPDATE?
'were' for multiple
'was' for single
Probably soon. Who's to say really?
I hope it's very soon! My hands are starting to shake and I'm seeing double.
i think that's the jam i made for you meva...
Adam's signed up to be in Big Blogger 2 ... anybody else want in? There are still about ten places left.
Apply here.
(Sorry for doing this, Adam, but Big Blogger can't get underway unless I know I have enough people for it to work. So it's also in YOUR best interest to encourage others to sign up. How about Aussie Rock Chick?)
We're particularly light on males, people. C'mon, it'll be fun. I'll do all the work -- all you've got to do is read it (and not object to whatever happens).
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