Oil running out in 2038

[on:]

Do u think the Professor is correct in stating oil reserves run out in 2038?
Im an optimistic person so i'll say yes.

[Reply #1 on:]

Oh well, wouldn't that be pessimistic from point of view we have now? Ok the second option is even more pessimistic. But even running dry on oil that early isn't really positive.

Or it could also be considered as realistic, seeing that statistics say it may happen within the next 40 years. So my vote goes to 1. as well.

[Reply #2 on:]

Well if u want to be 'ultra-optimistic', you could vote later than that. But, from what ive read, its not really the reserves running out, but more production not meeting demand which is the problem. Peak production, if you will.

[Reply #3 on:]

I heard that we have oil preserves here in the U.S. and in the oceans. They just haven't been used yet.

[Reply #4 on:]

Who know we might just find a much more cleaner resource for the enviroment by then

[Reply #5 on:]

If the human race makes it to then, then it most likely will be running out (if not already).

[Reply #6 on:]

The real question is why anyone would still care about oil in 2038.  Hydrogen fuel cells are far more efficient than gasoline engines, and the technology already exists.

 

Originally posted by fryfan001:
I heard that we have oil preserves here in the U.S. and in the oceans. They just haven't been used yet.

There's plenty of oil in Alaska, but it's mostly underneath land that's set aside as wildlife preserves and such.  Apparently we'd rather buy oil from other countries than dig up our own land.

[Reply #7 on:]

 

Originally posted by IamBender:
Do u think the Professor is correct in stating oil reserves run out in 2038?
Im an optimistic person so i'll say yes.

My science teacher said that the way we are using oil now, it will run out in about 30 years or so.   

[Reply #8 on:]

They said the same thing 10 years ago ... and 20 years ago ... and 30 years ago ... and, well, you get the picture.

We most likely wont run out of oil in 30 years, but the price for it will go up, since we will have to start using reserves which are more difficult, and hence more expensive, to extract.

[Reply #9 on:]

Yea I'm sure they will find oil in other places, and probably invent new ways to run cars without oil.

[Reply #10 on:]

Don't tell me this is enviroment based, no wait.......not POLITICS!!!!!

[Reply #11 on:]

More environment based, unless you want to get oil from another country, then political. But if that country's oil is in an environment that is protected, than it's politically environmental...or environmentally political. I'm not sure.

Hydrogen power and solar power will replace gasoline pretty soon, I'd say in the next 10 years. But, like in Bendin' in the Wind, he found a car that ran on oil, so he used oil to power it. So, inturn, if people like their car enough, they'll go out and buy gasoline until it runs out, and then, we'll find a new source for the current cars that replace gasoline, even if we already have new cars running on better energy sources.

Or a better idea on power for cars, how about ones that run on polution or even garbage.

[Reply #12 on:]

You got it off that program futurama. How can you trust that. I mean nobody watches it :-)

[Reply #13 on:]

 

The real question is why anyone would still care about oil in 2038.

Well, it is used in cosmetics   

[Reply #14 on:]

Actually it might be more like 2012 when the bite starts sinking in. The problem with anything hydrogen powered is that it takes more energy to produce it than a given amount contains. The same thing is starting to happen to oil. Trouble is the entire fueling infrastructure will have to be changed to hydrogen as well as the vehicles. Bio-fuels? There may not me enough land on the planet for fuel and food, raising the cost of both. No free lunch in sight.

[Reply #15 on:]

Hmmm... Hydrogen has potential, but it takes tons of energy to extract, like futz said, so we need to find a good source of electricity. A lot of power plants are natural gas, oil, and coal. Solar is far to weak yet. The sun releases crazy amounts of energy, but we do not efficiently convert it yet. Hydro is LOTS of potential energy, but destroys natural habitats. Gas is still more efficient than most other ideas, because most others are electric motors. While electric motors are fantastic, we lose too much in conversion. A car goes from gas (chemical energy) to motion (mechanical energy) in one step. A lot of other ideas involve converting chemical energy to electrical energy and then to mechanical energy. Too many conversions. I'm bored. You're boring zoidberg. I'm leaving.

[Reply #16 on:]

it is also used in the majority of plastics that are used all kinds of crap.
petroleum, that is.

[Reply #17 on:]

All we can do is pray the fuel cell saves the day   

[Reply #18 on:]

A vow of poverty may be more appropriate when you see how much there gonna cost.

[Reply #19 on:]

Surley there are many more places with oil in that we havnt found yet.

[Reply #20 on:]

No, and stop calling me Shirley. There is a lot of oil left but it is very deep (think in miles down). Canada has lot of oil but it's in the form of tar sands. Saudi Arabia is using pressurized sea water to scavange oil from it's reserviors. Then you have to make it a usable product. All of which adds $$$$.

[Reply #21 on:]

Somewhere in England (where I live) I remeber someone telling me that they used to pump oil out of the sea, so maybe if people look under the sea.....

[Reply #22 on:]

Waaay ahead of you, young Padawan.

[Reply #23 on:]

 

Originally posted by IamBender:
 
Well, it is used in cosmetics   

And lots of other things as well, but most of it is used as fuel.  If we weren't using oil based fuels, there would be enough of it to last us ages for other uses.

 

Originally posted by parasite?:
Hmmm... Hydrogen has potential, but it takes tons of energy to extract, like futz said, so we need to find a good source of electricity.

We have one: nuclear power.  Granted, fission has some undesireable side effects, but it shouldn't be too long before we get fusion power plants up and running.

[Reply #24 on:]

Solar power, wind power, and water power are useful too.

[Reply #25 on:]

what about Microwave power? Is it possible to beam a dish to collect massive amounts of radioactive energy from the sun then beam it back down for our uses? hmmm

[Reply #26 on:]

Isn't it bad to stand in front of a microwave?

[Reply #27 on:]

Lots of things are possible. More a matter of oil prices rising to the point that the alternatives make economic sense. Then again the oil companies have a habit of raising prices while they can. Then just about when the alternatives look attractive they slash prices and pull the rug out from under competition for another 10 years.

[Reply #28 on:]

 

Originally posted by Jonny Wobbs:
Isn't it bad to stand in front of a microwave?

Ya, if the glass is broken
 

[Reply #29 on:]

 

Originally posted by futz:
 Then just about when the alternatives look attractive they slash prices and pull the rug out from under competition for another 10 years.

Oh so thats why only 4 yrs ago I was paying 40 cents a litre (1.00 per gallon). Or was it?

[Reply #30 on:]

IamBender, the edit button is there for a reason, use it, don't double post!

[Reply #31 on:]

The bigger concern with lack of oil isn't cars, but fertilizer. Our crops are really "grown" with oil. If oil runs out as Prof said, how do they feed themselves in the future? The population I'm sure is much bigger.

Only way I can think of? Cryonic Woman: "And everybody ate lasers"

But that just raises further questions!

[Reply #32 on:]

I want oil to be around to be around 'cause  I would want to be driving an Aussie Muscle car at the point and by 2038 I would have raced modified my '79 RS 2000 and how will be able to enter it into The Classic Adelaide if theres no oil. I think any car nut would want petrol to be around long as possible

[Reply #33 on:]

Who knows, we might have hover cars by then...

[Reply #34 on:]

hover cars by 2038 would be great! but what would they run on instead?

[Reply #35 on:]

jonny wobbs, no point in mentioning the edit button, just look at the content of the posts 

[Reply #36 on:]

If we stop using petrol for transport somehow we'll have more than enough of it for everything else. We blow so much of it in our cars.

[Reply #37 on:]

A big chunk in the US goes down the drain in commuting to and from work. The average is getting up around an hour each way a day or about 25-50 miles each way for those who are actually moving. But companies are bound to their bricks-and-mortar rather than tele-commuting often because it's more about tribal rituals of management than production. Not that the current administration is promoting it either.

[Reply #38 on:]

Public transport is the answer! In britain, when i use it, it works preetty well! Although...you don't see much public transport in futurama do you?

[Reply #39 on:]

Yea, there is the odd bus, but do the people of the future need public transport when they can get to america in 5 mins?