Project
#14 (Chapter 12 Hydrocarbons)
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Watch the Nat Geo Film:
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National
Geographic Aftermath Series:
World Without
Oil (45:59 minutes)
What would our world look like if we ran out of oil? The lifeblood of our high-tech, highly mobile world won't last forever. Watch one scenario of what happens when one day oil does run out. How might our world change and how would we adapt? Aftermath follows the chaotic days and months after this catastrophic event through dramatic re-creations and CGI animation. Find out how we might cope as food disappears, electrical power fails and winter turns the big cities into abandoned buildings.
U-Tube:
http://imperiya.by/video/RICg5VCdmnH/World-Without-Oil-Full-Documentary.html
Short Summary/Notes: Aftermath: World Without Oil
In the first few minutes of
approximately 100,000 billion barrels (16,000 km3) of under-ground oil vanishing, alarms in oil rigs
sound as pipe pressure plummets. One day after oil, asphalt, diesel,
petrol and tar supplies become
limited. This causes $2 trillion of stock to become worthless. Oil-workers are sacked .
Consumers rush to petrol
stations to fill their cars up for the last time. Oil tankers
are called back to their countries of origin to save spending national reserves
of oil. Every mode of inter-national transport is now grounded. However, steel, food, medical
supplies and trash
are not being moved.
Power-stations start running out
of diesel. Power
cuts start spreading across the world. 5 days after oil. Martial law
is declared to stop rioting and looting. Unemployment rises to 30%. Farm animals
die due to lack of food. Coal power stations face shortages of coal.
What are stats for a human and animal
needs for food?
5 days after oil:
30 days after oil. Passenger
trains are running on oil rations and the roads are empty of cars. Governments
decide to start a program of biofuel planting.
5 months after oil, Chrysler, General
Motors and Ford
are taken over by the American government. Famine and drug-resistant
infections
threatens death and migration as food shipments come every second day. Emergency
vehicles are still getting oil rations. This inspires citizens to
tinker with chemicals
to get biofuel. Governments start to wonder if they
should plant crops for food or fuel. They later abandon biofuel
planting altogether.
1 year after oil, emergency
vehicles start to be run either by lithium
battery or biofuel. The price of lithium then
shoots up. Populations of wild animals bounce quickly back. People resort to growing
their own food and keeping livestock.
10 years after oil,
satellites burn up in the atmosphere as parts are not being replaced. Electronic
equipment is scavenged for precious
metals as people start recycling on a huge scale. Algae is used as a bio-fuel. Trucks deliver
supplies to hospitals.
40 years after oil, skies
are much clearer and cleaner as pollutants are washed
out. Aeroplanes, trains
and ships now run on
biofuel. Lithium battery cars are expensive. People
only grow what they need. New towns grow along railway
points. A world trade based on biofuel and lithium is now growing.[4][5]
Where is the world greatest supply of Lithium? Why is Lithium important?
If you want to do more investigation, read the
book:
Life
Without Oil: Why We Must Shift to a New Energy
Future
Book Description
March 23, 2011
We have spent the last two centuries
building a civilization on coal and the last century building it bigger still
on oil. Fossil fuels have been the wellspring of our complex, glorious modern
world, but they are about to run out. By the end of the 21st century, our oil
and natural gas supplies will be virtually nonexistent, and limited coal
supplies will be restricted to only a handful of countries.
In
Life without Oil, environmental scientist Steve Hallett
and veteran journalist John Wright make abundantly clear that we are at the
crest of a remarkable two-hundred-year glitch in the history of civilization and
are about to embark on the decline. Experts may argue about whether peak oil
production has already arrived or will come in a decade or two, but in any
case, as Hallett and Wright show, we must plan for a
future without reliance on oil.
But
successful planning depends on a realistic assessment of the facts about our
current situation. To that end, Hallett and Wright
describe how the petroleum interval of the last century, on which our
civilization is based, fits in to the larger history of civilization. They
describe the fate of civilizations and empires of the past that have come and
gone based on their vital connection with the environment.
Turning
to an even longer timeframe, the authors make a compelling case that the key
determinant of our global economy is not so much the invisible hand of the
marketplace but the inexorable laws of ecology. When it comes to the long term,
nature will impose limits beyond which our economy cannot go. Despite increased
emphasis on renewable and environmentally friendly energy sources, our current
obsession with growth is ultimately unsustainable. The authors foresee the
coming decades as a time of much disruption and change of lifestyle, but in the
end we may learn a wiser, more sustainable stewardship of our natural
resources.
This
timely, sobering, yet constructive discussion of energy and ecology offers a
realistic vision of the near future and many important lessons about the limits
of our resources.
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Hallett and Wright deliver a
brilliant overview of the dilemma posed by our society's profound
dependence on a depleting, non-renewable resource that is becoming more scarce
and unaffordable almost by the month. Readers new to the "Peak Oil"
discussion will find this an excellent entry point." --Richard Heinberg, Senior Fellow, Post Carbon Institute
"This
is a book of fundamental importance, especially as it is written in a very
readable style. It explains the Oil Age, which is a brief epoch in an
historical context. The first half saw the rapid expansion of industry,
transport, trade and agriculture, driven by easy oil-based energy. It allowed
the world's population to grow ten-fold, but also caused much damage to the
natural environment. The second half, which now dawns, will be marked by a corresponding
contraction due to the natural depletion of the resource. The book stresses the
scale of the challenge but comes forward with useful suggestions for how
people, and eventually their governments, can begin to adapt and successfully
react to what unfolds. It is essential reading for everyone."
--C.J. Campbell, Founder of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas
("ASPO")
"Sobering yet compelling...a lucid and inspiring plan for
international energy-conserving cooperation." --Booklist, March 1,
2011
About the Author
Steve Hallett is an associate professor in the Department of Botany and Plant
Pathology at Purdue University. His previous appointments include McGill
University, Canada, and the University of Queensland, Australia.
John Wright is a journalist specializing in energy and
environmental issues with over thirty-five years of experience. He is currently
the Latin America news editor for Energy News Today, but has also worked
for Knight-Ridder, Dow Jones, and the Associated Press. He is the author of The
Obama Haters.
Product Details
·
Hardcover: 375
pages
·
Publisher:
Prometheus Books (March 23, 2011)
·
Language:
English
·
ISBN-10:
1616144017
·
ISBN-13:
978-1616144012
·
Product Dimensions: 6 x
1.2 x 9 inches
·
Shipping Weight: 1.6
pounds (View
shipping rates and policies)
·
Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5
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