Surely this cannot be true if the word "reserves" refers to supplies of
these fossil fuels in the ground. After all, during the past 10, 20 or 50
years we have certainly burned up a lot of this fossile fuel. During this
time, NO ONE HAS MADE ANY FRESH SUPPLIES, as far as I know.
It is patently obvious that, if we use some and don't replenish it, then we
have less now than we had before. If we continue to do so, we WILL run out.
If your word "reserves" merely means "what we think is there" or "what we
know about" or "what we think can be extracted economically", then we are
fooling ourselves with a shell game. No matter how much more is yet to be
discovered, it can't possibly be infinite. Therefore, if we continue to use
it, we will eventually use it all up.
It is a fact that we are running out, not because we may or may not have
more "reserves", but because IT DOESN'T MATTER how much we have in reserves.
Quibbling about how much reserves are left is just quibbling about whether
we will run out in 100 year or 105 years. I am not comforted by a mere extra
few years before human society collapses for lack of sufficient energy.
Not only that, but a lot of essential things are made from petroleum. At some point that will be a more critical use than burning it for fuel, especially as supplies dwindle.
And don't even get us started on being dependent on the Middle East.
Carleton
