Peak Oil: Concerns About Natural Resources and Global Warming

Peak Oil and Global Warming

There is now much debate regarding whether the remaining oil supply can last to realize the worst of the negative effects of global warming According to one controversial analysis done by scientists at the University of Uppsala based in Sweden , all fuel will be burned even before temperature levels become exceedingly hot (Coghlan , 2003

Although estimates on the remaining oil reserves are not the same , it is believed that oil will reach its peak by as early as 2010 . The scientists say that combined oil and gas

reserves amount to only 3 ,500 barrels which is less than the very optimistic figures from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC (Coghlan , 2003

On the other hand , IPCC scientists defended that even if the oil reserves is not enough to constitute the more devastating effects of global warming , the burning of coal will more than make up for the deficiency . theless , both sides agree that burning coal is even more harmful (Coghlan , 2003

In a worst-case scenario , it is depicted that there is still 18 ,000 billion barrels of oil left but according to University of Uppsala geologist Kjell Aleklett that claim is completely unrealistic ' and that even the expected 8 ,000 billion barrels is more than double the remaining amount estimated by Sweden . The IPCC , however still argues that their predictions still has grounds using a much broader and internationally accepted range of oil and gas estimates ' and even if reserves of oil and gas do run out , there is still huge reserves of coal that may be burned for fuel or be converted into gasoline notwithstanding the fact that coal is much more harmful to the environment because it produces more emissions and particulates (Coghlan , 2003

Peak oil and global warming are two related problems and solving these two problems requires the same measures which is by reducing reliance on fossil hydrocarbon fuels . For America , coal , oil , and natural should be eliminated as a primary source of energy (Holson , 2007

Aside from being an energy source , oil is also being used as feedstock particularly for the manufacturing of plastics , pharmaceuticals synthetic rubber , asphalt , lubricants , nitrogenous fertilizers pesticides , and insecticides . It is also an important resource for the military especially during periods of war (Holson , 2007

There are many other alternative sources of energy that produce basically no emissions and are renewable . Such energy sources include solar energy , wind energy , hydroelectric energy , and geothermal energy These forms of energy sources have already proved efficient and effective yet many refuse to market it because of greater profit earned from oil and other exhaustible fossil fuels . Nuclear energy is another efficient energy source but this should be given much thought because nuclear power provides all sorts of other risks

The Kyoto Protocol is also a good recourse as it will aggregately reduce greenhouse gas emissions of countries that have committed to the protocol . Being one of the top producers of greenhouse gases , the US should also ratify...