How fast is the fossil fuel depletion going at? (or, when will it run out?)?

Question

How fast and how long will it take until the current fossil fuel depletion reaches to "zero"?

Also, i read some posts of people talking about how 1 billion+ people will die, chaos will ensue, ect. Is this true?

Answer 1

It won't "run out".  It will simply get very expensive, and you can see that starting right now.

As it gets very expensive there will be power struggles.  They could turn into wars.

The best answer is to develop alternative energy sources.  Countries that import large amounts of fossil fuels are in a very dangerous position.  Countries that develop good alternative technologies (like better solar cells) stand to make a huge amount of money.

The current US policy on this is both dangerous, and passing up great opportunity.

Answer 2

Hopefully very soon.

Answer 3

The last I heard was by 2025 we have to look for something new.  By that time fuel (gasoline) will cost about $1.00 per mile of driving, We will be taking the bus by then if we don't find something new to run on.

Answer 4

How fast is the fossil fuel depletion going at? (or, when will it run out?)

--------------------------------------...

-Practically never. Even if it did, the oil people running the show wont care because they will be long dead because they don't give a $hit about the future.

How fast and how long will it take until the current fossil fuel depletion reaches to "zero"?

--------------------------------------...

-It depends, which car do you want to drive...A 20mpg gasoline or it's 40mpg Diesel counterpart. Hmm

Also, i read some posts of people talking about how 1 billion+ people will die, chaos will ensue, ect. Is this true?

--------------------------------------...

-HA! The only thing I can think of is that Tracktor Trailer Truck drivers won't be able to deliver food or anything else for that matter to hungry people. Ha, I guess we'll just have to grow our own crops here, LOL!

Answer 5

We'll never run out of oil.

The harder it is to find, the more expensive it will get. The more expensive it is, the less people buy and use it. The less people buy it, the more there is left.

It's called capitalism.

Answer 6

Proved oil reserves in the world are good for 100 years, and coal for much longer, but there will be an excess of demand for oil ,Gas and coal which will push the price of all sorts of fossil fuels up to levels that will make other sources of energy more attractive, and eventually the use of fossil fuels will die out.

I estimate that, with the current oil prices going up as they do now, if this tend continues for several years, most new cars will include technologies to save fuel, or use alternative energy sources, and the same will happen in power stations.

Answer 7

As others say - the oil will not run out, but the demand is now exceeding our ability to supply. the easy reserves have been used up. (see peak oil/hubbards curve)

new fields are in environmentally or politcally sensitive areas or otherwise expensive to extract or they are lower quality, higher sulpher = more expensive to refine.

the human carying capacity of the planet without fossil fuels may be about 3bn at a resonable (a bit lower than current European) standard of living

Given that population is predicted to reach 9bn by 2050 that means 6bn people will die prematurely, or live a poor quality life.

see Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Hours-Ancie...