Monday, January 12, 2009

Wait, Why Are We Worried About Peak Oil?

I just read this in a 2001 paper by Larry Lohmann at the Cornerhouse:
Yet the mining of coal and oil will have to be halted long before supplies have
run out. The amount of carbon in remaining deposits of fossil fuels (over 4,000
billion tonnes) swamps both the carbon pool in the atmosphere (720 billion
tonnes) and the carbon pool in the terrestrial biosphere (2,000 billion tonnes)
(see table). Atmospheric science suggests that adding just a few hundred to a
thousand of this 4,000 billion tonnes to the air could precipitate catastrophe.

So, wait a second. If this is true, then peak oil is really not something to worry about, right? Because by the time we hit peak oil, we'll all be dead!! Happy Monday!!

But seriously, this paper is a little old. Is there newer research that refutes Lohmann? Hit me up, peeps.

6 comments:

Green Bean said...

Ahh, what a way to start out the week. Thanks for that uplifting post.

ruchi said...

I aim to please. ;)

Joyce said...

And a Happy Monday to you, to! You're so full of cheer!

ruchi said...

I AM full of cheer!! Death and destruction, hooray!! Can you tell I'm a little punchy from too little sleep and too much paper writing? ;)

Anonymous said...

Love how you see glass half full?!
Thanks for a good laugh

Joyce said...

After all, my grandmother used to say that trouble won't kill you. I guess. Maybe.