“Explain and concept of ‘peak oil’, and outline the possible consequences of peak oil for the global economy”
The theory of ‘peak oil’ refers to the inevitable peaking and consequent decline in the amount of oil produced in any nation throughout the world. The term ‘peak oil’ usually refers to the time when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached after which a terminal decline in the rate of production occurs (Heinberg, R. 2003, pg. 97-98). There is an ongoing debate about when peak oil will occur; some economists deem it to be decades away, while others believe it has come to pass all ready (Strahan, P. 2007, pg. 202). As the world is so reliant on this finite resource it is a crucial problem that needs to be
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As the price of oil continues to rise it will spur a great demand for alternate energy sources to be discovered. Coal and liquefied gas a feasible substitutions for oil, however they can only be used provisionally as they are both finite resources as well. The ever-increasing price for oil has the potential to mitigate global warming as the harmful emission from fossil fuel usage promotes newer cleaner alternatives to be sourced. This is not the solution for climate change, however it will aid in decelerating global warming for a period of time. Means of transportation would be cut down too much simpler methods, such as walking or riding a bicycle. (Sharpe, S. & Tranter, P. 2010 pg. 290). Both of these methods of transport needs exertion of energy and can aid in improving ones fitness and a change to a healthier lifestyle. This is a step forward in tackling the global obesity epidemic. With the decline in the number of personal motor vehicles on the roads, urban areas can therefore be seen as not only environmentally friendly but child friendly as well (Tranter, P. & Sharpe, S 2007).
It is evident that the global economy is extremely dependent on oil, and the concept of peak oil will have a severe effect on civilization and the way in which our society functions. Food production and transportation are a vital part of our economy and are taken for granted in today’s society. However, without oil it will see these areas
Three quarters of emissions in 2004 were coming from road traffic (Woodcock, p.1930, 2009). Emissions used from transportation are forecasted to increase from the year 2007-2030 by about 80% according to studies done by James Woodcock who is currently studying climate change and health from car fuels (Woodcock, p.1930, 2009). This is due to the fact that the emissions from vehicles are increasing significantly and are higher than any other energy fragment (Woodcock, p.1930, 2009). The only way to lower this percentage is to decrease the number of individual automobiles on the road and increase the number of public transit systems, starting long distance walking to work or school, carpooling or even biking to destinations. These principles would
In terms of oil dependence, most of the general public believes that the world has enough oil to support us for the next hundred years; in truth we are rapidly depleting our petroleum sources due to the increasing population and demand. In fact, as was initially theorized by the Hubbert Peak Theory in 1950, Earth peaked in oil supplies in 1973 and the largest oil resources that have been discovered since then have been in Venezuela and Saudi Arabia. Here it must be
One of the main subjects this documentary talks about is the "peak oil" phenomenon. According to many geoscientists, geologists and other members of the scientific community, oil production is supposed to peak. After this peak, we should start to see production drop as the oil becomes harder to extract and refine. Some think that we have already peaked, others think that production is currently peaking. Recently, there have also been some people in the financial industry who are saying that the peak oil
Senator Everett Dirksen once noted “The oilcan is mightier than the sword”. In today’s world, it is easy to see why oil can be considered the most important resource to hold. Without oil, many of the common day occurrences we take for granted would be impossible. Oil is used for almost everything; from the fuel used to drive our vehicles, to the plastics used in every facet of life, and providing the heat needed to live through the winter. In fact, the United States depends so much on oil that as a nation it uses over 20 million barrels a day. Importing oil increases the total costs because of the need to transport it from around the world. It is estimated
Oil has often been referred to as any economy’s lifeblood. Although this is an overemphasis, oil has been the key, nonhuman resource of the economy throughout the largest part of the 20th century. In the book “The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, And Power” by Daniel Yergin, the author illustrates the political, societal, economic, and geo-strategic importance of this product.
The U.S. should invest in alternatives to oil, and drill on the United States grounds because it will assist the economy, preserve energy and fix the world’s environmental problems. The supply and demand for oil is always on the rise, and problems are contemplated with the use for oil. Those problems are starting to catch up to the modern world, and something needs to change before the world enters a black out. Experts can predict that there is estimated to be somewhere around 61 years of oil left for us to use at our current rate. The demand for oil is always rising. People in today’s modern society rely so heavily on oil, that they would not know what to expect if it
The term “peak oil” refers to the point when oil production reaches its maximum rate and then its production gradually decreases. There is no doubt that having cities as peak oils will drastically affect many lives. But what exactly are the effects of peak oil? There are many effects that could possibly end the lives of many. One would be that peak oil will affect health services. The Gross Domestic Product or simply the GDP will decline as a result of peak oil. When the GDP declines, it will affect what communities can spend on health care and other social health activities and programs. Most models of health care provisions depend on cheap fossil fuels. Since peak oil will decrease the quantity of oil and as a result increase the prices,
Discuss how rising oil prices might affect the macroeconomic performance of an economy. (25 marks)
a material that is used in burning or heating something to produce an energy is a fuel. Almost everything we use is dependent on fuel. From cooking to automobile manufacture and working, fuel plays an indispensable role. Life without fuel is almost impossible to imagine But, currently, we are facing a gargantuan fuel crisis.moreover, Due to lack of fuel, it is being imported from other countries at a high price. This can alter the economic development in India. Even in petrol pumps, we find that cost of petrol is rising gradually! consequently, What would happen if all the oil on the earth disappeared? nevertheless the Mass chaos and panic as civilization immediately collapsed. The end of oil means the end of transportation -- every supply chain required to run a modern society. The trucks that feed our cities would stop, and the cars that transport workers to work would become completely useless. This would immediately shut down most businesses and services in the developed world. This includes the army and
Oil has repeatedly been referred to as any economy’s lifeblood. Whereas this is an overemphasis, oil has been the utmost key, nonhuman resource of economy throughout the largest part of the 20th century. In the book “The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, And Power” by Daniel Yergin, the author illustrates the political, societal, economic, and geo-strategic prominence of this product. The book was published by Simon and Schuster in 2011 in New York, and contains 928 pages, as its ISBN is 1439134839. This research paper aims to provide a book review on Daniel Yergin’s “The Prize.”
The world is depended on oil and soon oil will become more valuable than gold and could lead to a worldwide war. Price for oil could soar to above two hundred fifty dollars per barrel. Oil and other fuel cell also cause green house gases which contribute to global warming. China is consuming two times more petroleum than 1996 and India is projected to consume three times the oil it currently does by 2050. Global house gas emission has increased by twenty percent from 2003 to 2006. Energy consumption has increased exponentially throughout the globe. The U.S. department of energy projects energy consumption will increase seventy percent from 2003 to 2030. The world has agreed to reduce emission by twenty five percent before 2020 and by over
Peak oil is described as the point in time when the maximum rate of petroleum extraction is reached, and at this point we assist to a diminution of the resource. Oil is one of the world 's most vital resource, we use it in every aspect of our daily lives, we use it for electricity, gasoline and even drugs. The disappearance of this resource can lead to a major global disaster. In an attempt to identify the potential impact of such a disaster and find alternatives energetic resources, a cloud of researchers started to focus their research around this topic. While the first researches made on peak oil where mostly focused on its plausibility, nowadays researches concentrate on determining the exact period of occurrence, as well as the economic and political impact of this event.
World oil demand is increasing as emerging economies need more energy to increase their living standards. Estimates, shown below, are that by 2030, China and India as emerging markets will import over 70% to 90% of their fossil fuel needs (1) . Coupled to a continued high and growing demand for oil, makes this a robust market for the next 30 years.
“As our global population reaches 50% urban, there is an urgent need to return food, fiber and materials production to the cities. The U.S urban population is currently highly food insecure due to a lack of local food production and networks” Personally, this is a huge issue that needs to be addressed. As the population is rising, the country needs to have facilities efficiently producing enough food to feed the areas. This quote given in the introduction opened my eyes to harsh reality. It states “We are dependent on the energy of oil and natural gas to seed our crops, maintain them, harvest them, process them, and transport them to market.” What happens when Oil is gone? What are our alternative options? Food process and distribution relies strictly from oil. We’ve known for years that oil is running low and we still have yet to figure out an efficient substitute. Adding into this topic “Hunger is not caused from lack of food, but from a lack of access to food.” That
Peak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline. The concept is based on the observed production rates of individual oil wells, and the combined production rate of a field of related oil wells. The aggregate production rate from an oil field over time usually grows exponentially until the rate peaks and then declines—sometimes rapidly—until the field is depleted. This concept is derived from the Hubbert curve, and has been shown to be applicable to the sum of a