The honest truth is that we will ruin our planet before we run out of oil or suitable replacements for oil. Gasoline has had a suitable replacement for years, and it is sustainable. Diesel can be replaced or supplemented with so many other substances that it could continue to be used for another century at least before it hit crisis levels. This is especially true considering gasoline production/refining directly affects the supply of crude for diesel production.
In all reality, we could “indefinitely” rely on oil based off of supply. The advancement in oil technology has almost entirely been focused in extraction and refining efficiency measures. Synthetic fuels and oils could continue the mass availability of modern petro fuels if and when the demand deems the R&D profitable.
So the concern shouldn’t so much be “how much longer will oil last for mankind?”. The concern should be, “In spite of the destructiveness of petro fuels to our environment, how long will we be able to deem oils a profitable energy source.”
thejimshep t1_j09df08 wrote
Reply to How much gas/oil, roughly, is actually left for us to use? How long until we get to the last drop and need to start rationing? by football2106
The honest truth is that we will ruin our planet before we run out of oil or suitable replacements for oil. Gasoline has had a suitable replacement for years, and it is sustainable. Diesel can be replaced or supplemented with so many other substances that it could continue to be used for another century at least before it hit crisis levels. This is especially true considering gasoline production/refining directly affects the supply of crude for diesel production.
In all reality, we could “indefinitely” rely on oil based off of supply. The advancement in oil technology has almost entirely been focused in extraction and refining efficiency measures. Synthetic fuels and oils could continue the mass availability of modern petro fuels if and when the demand deems the R&D profitable.
So the concern shouldn’t so much be “how much longer will oil last for mankind?”. The concern should be, “In spite of the destructiveness of petro fuels to our environment, how long will we be able to deem oils a profitable energy source.”