August. 27, 1859 the first oil well in the world was sunk in Pennsylvania. Over the following 150 years, the energy provided by oil has allowed the development of cars, highways, plastics and and modern agricultural revolution. Now we are facing the end of that era. It looks like global oil production is now at an all time high - a phenomenon known as peak oil. From now on, the total oil produced every day will go down. Whether the decline is fast or slow remains to be seen, but down it will go. This means we will be forced to find a different path for the future. Either we must find new energy sources or learn to use less. In a time of concern over rising carbon dioxide levels we must make sure that any future change in energy sources is not a big CO2 producer.
I think the recently passed 150th birthday of oil is something we should all be aware of. The role that oil and modern fuels play in our lives is enormously important and despite that it is all to easy to not be aware of their impact. Better to at least know by name what you depend on!
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This is nonsense. Why do you think that oil production has to go down? Do you honestly believe that the processes that created the oil have suddenly, without any known reason, just stopped? One day the earth said, "Y'know. I've had it with producing oil. They're just using it to pollute me anyway. I think I'll quit." No, friend. The same earth that produced the oil will keep on producing it. The fact is, we don't know how the earth produces the oil (really) and we don't know at what rate it does. So, we cannot predict when our rate of consumption will outstrip the earth's ability to produce it. Any other belief is based on conjecture and nonsense.
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