Running Out of Oil, or Not

The yellow “smiley face” cover of The Atlantic magazine (May 2013) caught my eye at the bookstore. The face was dripping oil, and the lead article by Charles C. Mann is “What If We Never Run Out of Oil?” (pp. 48-63). He makes many interesting points---worth reading in detail----including the fact that fracking (controversial as it is), as well as an energy source called flammable ice (methane hydrate) “may soon usher in an age of widespread energy independence” (p. 48) and could help reduce carbon emissions that are contributing to climate change. He discusses a range of energy options for the world and discusses the different viewpoints of whether energy sources (in the form of oil and natural gas) are running out or are virtually limitless. The energy sources like sun, wind, and other renewables are virtually limitless---but we need to begin converting now, because climate change is already happening.

A sidebar piece by Daniel Sarewtiz and Roger Pielke, Jr. (p. 59) discusses the possibilities of carbon capture. While currently expensive, carbon capture “does not demand a radical alteration of national economies, global trade, or personal lifestyles” and could help economies in both powerful and developing nations (p. 59).