Sorry, had to reply. Bad one Krw57. Do the math. Krw57 reports about 600 billion barrel of oil reserves. Times that by 20 gallons a barrel. That's 12 zillion gallons reserves.
How much does the world consume a year in gallons. Say there is 100 million cars and average 40 gallons a week. That's 2000 gallons a year. Times 100 million cars equals 200 billion gallons a year.
Divide 12 zillion gallons by 200 billion gallons and equals 60 years worth of oil left. But that is just considering cars and not all the industry in the world consuming oil. My math is not exhaustive as the oil amount is probably not right. Though I have read there is about 75 years left of oil reserves when considering Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, others and present demand for oil each year. Maybe, but I don't know about that. Read website below.
I don't think politicians want to scare us needlessly about the possible shortages of oil ahead of us.
But what about when the 3rd world’s industry starts to consume as much oil per year as the US and Western Europe. And what about the pollution, green house effect, changing weather patterns, rising water level and health care costs associated with fossil fuel pollution and temperature increases each year?
We shouldn't play politics about this. But we shouldn't panic either. Its a democratic/republican and world problem.
I tend to be an optimist when it comes to technology and man/woman's ability to meet changing technical conditions. If not in cultural, religion and unity problems. I think hybrid cars, wind, solar, ocean current, water falls, geothermal heat sources, alternative fuels, and hopefully much cleaner coal technology and the like will extend the life of oil reserves. However we should get off the oil and coal kick for the world's ecosystem and our health sake.
The ideal replacement for oil is hydrogen in water which is practically limitless. The problem is starting to create enough of the above clean energy facilities to produce it in the quantity needed. And the clean way needed. Since hydrogen can drive electrical power plants changed over to use hydrogen. Which in turn can drive the world’s industry. And the first hydrogen fuel cars are available now. In 10 years time they will be every bit as good as the internal combustion engine out there. We just need to start creating the hydrogen supply in clean ways and the amount needed for all that.
Bush Jr so far briefly talked the talk about conservation, efficiencies, clean energy sources and hydrogen fuel and transition to it needed. But will he walk the walk needed. I don't know.
Its going to be tight and close.
The above web site is not that encouraging about the use of hydrogen. Particularly its weight for airplanes. I guess airplanes have to be redesigned.