Discussion
I would like to add a short statement of fact taken from our page on world energy projections found at http://www.geocities.com/ENERGY1.HTM: (please publish the url so readers may consult)
The BP Statistical Review of World Energy reveals that the level of proved world oil reserves amounts to 1037.6x109 barrels, while 1997 world consumption reached 71.67x106 barrels/day (26177x106 BBL/year, and that the world oil consumption increased 2.0% from 1996 to 1997.
All this means that the world oil reserves will end in 39.6 years (year 2037) if there is no consumption increase above 1997 levels. The oil reserves at the present tendency of 2% consumption increase per year will end in 29 years (year 2026). But if instead of increasing, as is happening now, the world consumption would be decreased by, say 2%, the same oil reserves will last for a period of 80 years. This change from 'increase' to 'decrease' consumption by a modest 2% rate would extend the oil availability from 29 to 80 years, a time gain of 51 years, equivalent to 2 generations !
This extra available time should allow for a full transition of the present oil based energetic technology to renewable sources and to a just/sustainable socio-economic energy distribution.
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