WIND FARMS

BY AVIVA

1. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES OF WIND POWER? 
•  ADVANTAGES:
• One of the most unique advantages of wind power compared to other energy sources is that after the wind turbine has been built, it doesn't consume anything, the wind is free. Because of this, no green house gases are produced in the process. 
• Another advantage is that wind turbines do not depend on electricity, so they never use more energy than they produce. 
• Wind turbines also come in a variety of sizes so they can satisfy many different uses. For example, you could get a smaller wind turbine to power your own house, but you could not use nuclear power for just a single home.
• DISADVANTAGES:
• One of the biggest disadvantages of wind power is that the wind is not reliable, we cannot be sure that the wind is going to blow consistently and there may be times that they produce no energy at all. 
• Although wind turbines do not cause pollution while they are operating, some pollution is produced in order to make the machine.
2. WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL WIND FARMS IN THE WORLD?
• Middelgrunden Wind Turbine Cooperative - Copenhagen, Denmark
• It has never taken on debt
• It has had no problems despite being in shipping lanes
• Wild Horse Wind Farm - Kittitas County, Washington
• It has created jobs and tax revenue
• It does not have a negative impact on the environment
• Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center - Taylor, Texas
• Largest wind farm in the world
3. COULD WIND POWER REPLACE OIL WHEN IT RUNS OUT?
•  Currently, wind and solar combined provide only 1% of the world's energy and experts have predicted that in the next 25 years that will increase to only 4%. In order to be able to rely completely on wind power, great improvements will be needed in the turbines that produce the energy and systems that store it.

Rise in Oil Consumption and Products Created

By Ry Faraola
1. History on the Increase of oil consumption
During the Industrial Revolution, there was a demand for energy resources. Muscle power and waterwheels helped to create energy in the beginning. But, as sciences advanced, the steam engine was invented, burning coal and wood to create energy for machinery. In 18th century England  the island nearly was deforested to satisfy the growing demand for power. Shortly after the combustion engine was created, oil industry were created, and in the span of 50 years, these industries flourished. The rise of population, the demand for products, i.e. automobiles, energy, and synthetics, resulted in a world wide expansion of the oil industry.
2. What products effect oil consumption?
Most modern amenities somehow consume oil. Products such as linoleum, or antihistamines are derived from oil through processes such as synthesis. The bag of potato chips needs oil to get the potato from farm to manufacturing plant, and then to ship a bag to a convenience store near you. A person might drive there automobile to buy said bag.
3. What would a grocery store look like after oil?
Gasoline is the use to transport all goods. After oil, without implementation of electric automobiles or high speed rail ways, the average grocery store would lack any mark brand not produced in a close vicinity. Produce would be seasonal, and local. The world might spiral into chaos for a brief moment of history, but alternative energy sources would still create energy.

CAN USING HORSES HELP REDUCE OUR DEPENDENCE ON OIL?

CAN USING HORSES HELP REDUCE OUR DEPENDENCE ON OIL?

BY ZANE

1. Can horses help reduce our dependency on oil?

Yes, horses can replace many machines we use every day. For example instead of driving up large trucks, lumber jacks could use draft horses to pull chopped down trees out of the forrest. Another way horses can reduce our dependancy on oil, is with their manure. If we use horses manure as fertalizer, we can cut down on the chemical fertilizer we use and farms use with equals less oil being used to make the fertilizers. The less man-made products and more natural recources we use the less oil we will use.

1. What are the advantages/disadvantages?

The biggest disadvantage to replaceing cars with horses would be the fact that if we replaced all cars with horses we would have so much methane gas that our atmosohere would already be ruined. We would need a way to get rid of, or utilize the methane gas to be able to relpace cars with horses. An advantage to using horses would be that we wouldn't have to keep destroying our planet to get more oil.

1. Is there a way to utilize methane gas?

There is infact a way to preserve and use mathane gas. Not only can the methane from horses be utilized, but methane from landfills can and should be utilized. This could infact be the worlds solution to our oil crisis.

USING OIL MORE EFFICIENTLY

BY DAVID

• Why is oil efficiency such a big problem?
• Because if we keep consuming this much oil at an exponential rate we will run out of oil soon and unless we find an alternative solution or use A LOT less oil we're in trouble. Although using less oil wouldn't be a permanent solution it would work for a while until we come up with an alternative energy source to power every single thing in the world.
• What are a few of the things that an everyday person could do to become more oil efficient?
• We can buy more oil efficient cars or make more oil efficient ones that are made by oil efficient machines or we could completely look into an alternative solution like instead of electricity plants, really big fields of solar panels, or instead of cars, horses.
• How can we push bigger organizations to use more efficient non-oil consuming sources of energy? What could some of these sources be?
• We can do a whole bunch of things like not buy any of the things that they produce or petition for them to get there energy/power from a completely different source like wind mills.

GETTING RID OF OIL

Ramsey Kerr:

Why can't we get rid of oil?

 We can't get rid of oil because we NEED it. We depend on the cheap, powerful, and abundant energy of oil and we have for centuries. The government is keeping us from moving on from the dying energy source that we use so much by spending tax money on finding and harvesting oil sources instead of finding clean and renewable sources to power that car and that cell phone and that TV and the million other things that we use oil to power. We don't only use oil for energy but also for material synthesis and farming, all plastic is made from oil and almost everything we use is made of plastic. It even takes oil energy to shape and distribute these products. In addition food, the essence of life (or, one of them), we have over farmed and mistreated the land so much that we have to make it fertile again by, you guessed it, putting oil in it. Fertilizers that almost all farmers use are made from oil. We are currently completely dependent on oil.

What would happen if we got rid of oil, and what will doing this it take?

 If we were to somehow be slightly: selfless, motivated, and aware of what is really going on with oil, we would be sensible enough to start to think about maybe looking at other possible serious sources for energy as a whole nation. But were not, we just keep acting like oil is going to last forever, and ignoring the signs of trouble, like the increase in gas prices. But oil is not going last forever, oil came from plants that were compressed and heated and underwent a chemical process that changed them into oil millions of years ago, and this isn't happening anymore. If we are to eliminate this problem like a tasty, but unhealthy junk food, we need to gradually take oil out of out technology, to have a long time to start finding ways to power our toys, or give them up. There are already people who are using healthier sources for energy, and they are the ones who don't have to pay taxes or oil generated power and refill their car with gas every time they run out.

What would happen if we didn't get rid of oil?

 The alternative is to keep using oil like it will be there forever. The government will keep paying to find more oil, instead of fixing other problems (national debt, education, global warming), and the consumer will keep buying the oil products and paying for the increasingly not cheep and abundant oil generated power. We will keep burning that black goo and not caring about the toxic emissions, or the wasteland we create every time we finish an oil source, or the unusable farming fields that we have filled with oil. We will keep finding source after source and draining it dry, until we don't, because there isn't infinite oil. We will eventually lose oil and there will be an economic breakdown because we will have lost all our plastic products, there will be no more power, and there will be chaos for people who can't get to their jobs or get their food or even pay for it, and we'll think "Why didn't we see this coming, how naive we were!"

 how nieve we were!"

Oil

by: Keelan MF




Q. How fast will oil deplete? How much time to prepare?


A. first off peak oil is when we have discovered and used the most oil possible and from there it is a decline in the amount of oil we have. predictions vary, some say it already happened and some say it wont happen till  at least 2100 but most agree we will peak between 2015 an 2020, and from there our oil will decline exponential and will soon be completely out of oil. these estimated give us a generous 50 years untill we cant use oil as a source of dependable energy for our growing world.


Q. Can we obtain new sources of energy (not oil) in time?


A. This can really depend. Most energy sources are extremely expensive (all much more than then oil) and the government would rather invest in the big oil companys then to the smaller green energy companies, And the fact that most green energy sources like wind and solar are unreliable and don't work in certain areas. If we find  some great new source of energy that is cheap and reliable I'm sure that the government will have it funded and running strong by the time our oil is gone.




Q. Is there any way we can increase the time we have to transition to no oil energy?


A. we cant prolong peaking unless we find another huge field. If we cut back on energy consumption of all kinds like riding bikes instead of cars and not buying as much plastic. We could graduate the decline.

Financial and economical impacts of the oil shortage.

1. What will happen to production companies and corporations when oil runs out, and what will be the effects of this?

Most production companies either use oil in the products (like plastics) or use oil to fuel their machinery (like tractors). Oil shortage will make production more expensive, and an absence of oil will make production impossible. This will force companies to change or die. Oil drilling groups will obviously have the hardest time because their product is finite, and will be used up. However, right now, oil companies are still raking in enormous amounts of money every year.

2. How do oil prices affect the economy?

Generally, when energy prices rise, the economy goes down. When oil is more expensive, production of almost everything becomes more expensive incurring inflation. As oil becomes more scarce (unless we come up with a solution) it will get more and more expensive until it is completely depleted and gone.

3. What are the financial reasons for not publicizing the oil crisis? 

As of now, our quickly depleting oil is not being publicized. There are a variety of reasons for this. Here are two examples. The first is that the government doesn't want people to be too frightened. The oil supply is depleting quickly, and we will need to get off of oil fast, or our entire system will fall apart when we run out of oil. The second reason is greed. There are still trillions and trillions of dollars worth of oil left in the Earth, and the heads of oil companies are eager to get it. If we switch off of oil too soon for them, they won't get that money.

http://205.254.135.24/oiaf/economy/energy_price.html

Alternative Energy Sources... That We're Not Using

by Maia Rubin

1.What alternative energy sources are there that North America does not strongly use yet?
In Denmark the use of wind turbines is getting greater than the use of oil products. After the 1973 Yom Kippur War between Israel, Syrian and Egypt some of the Western world was blocked from Arab based oil. This led to Denmark having to find a new energy source. Denmark has also used the burning of waste product; electricity generated by photovoltaic or solarenergy cells; and the geothermal turbines powered by the escape of underground steam.
As of 2007 Germany was the highest ranking country that used wind energy and solar capacity. They also outscored the U.S. in offshore wind, solar, and biomass power. Germany is also the king in the use of photovoltaic products, accounting at almost half of the global market as of 2007. The people of Germany are payed a cement amount of money if they feed a certain amount of home based energy into the power grid. So it's a win win for Germany.

2. Why don't we use these alternative sources?
North America seems to struggle with the fact that our oil is slowly but surely running out. When people know that oil (life) is running out, they mostly go into denial that oil can't run out which is like suicide. The lifestyle that most people have in North America is based purely on oil. Some people do look towards alternative energy sources but some don't even want to understand that one day, if we don't get alternative energy, must humans will die. We do use some wind power and solar energy and these are on the rise in North America. The international energy industries might not want to give up information about alternative energy, if in a few years they could make our industries pay to get info that would keep life in stable condition. So I think the reason why we don't use some of these alternative energy sources is manly base on denial and disbelief.


3. How can we incorporate them into our country?
People who are aware of the power crisis could spread the world of an global  Apocalypse. Or North America could just sit and wait for the option to arise where we could buy alternative energy source materiel and knowledge from foreign industries. We could also just do more research and look into power alternatives and bring them into our daily lives. The government could put out a "law" that people must have, for example, one solar panel on their home roofs or one wind turbine in a neighbor hood. Then, if this was a must, people would actually be helping themselves, even if it costs money to install the equipment.

The Potential for New Oil Sources

By Jasmine

1. Are there any known untapped oil fields?
• The current problem with oil actually isn't that we're running out of it, but we've depleted the sources that are easily collectable. There are at least 7 huge untapped oil fields, in North Dakota, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Iraq, Kazakhstan (Caspian Sea), and Ghana.
2. If there are, how much oil is there and how long will it last?
• North Dakota's oil field is said to be huge, possibly yielding 24 billion barrels. Known as Bakken, it would be able to supply the United States with three years of energy, at the current rate of 20 million barrels per day. If this is true, Bakken would be the largest oil boom in recent U.S. history.
• Mexico's Chicontepec Basin is said to house around 10 billion barrels, but it is untapped because of political problems. Mexico has controlled all oil exports since foreign investors were kicked out in 1938. It's said that in 2012, Mexico will open some of it's reserves to foreign investors.
• The Orinoco Belt in Venezuela is said to hold a massive reserve of 513 billion barrels. Unfortunately, since the last boom in Venezuela, relations have been tough, but they're estimated to be producing around 2-3 million barrels per day.
• In Brazil, Santos and Campos Basin together have up to 123 billion barrels of oil, although it is mostly trapped in about two miles deep of salt and rock layers, about a mile under the Atlantic.
• Iraq possibly has about 45-100 billion barrels of oil in the southwest desert's supergiant fields. There are two problems with accessing Iraq's oil; the political problems and the refining process. There currently aren't enough refineries or fresh water for the process.
• Between Russia and China, Kazakhstan holds 11 billion barrels in it's Kashagan Field. The oil is sulphurous, and it's combined with a high quantity of high-pressure natural gas. Also, drilling platforms have to be incredibly sturdy to weather the harsh conditions in the Caspian Sea. 
• Ghana holds about 1.8 billion barrels in the Jubilee Fields. Political issues have stopped us from collecting this oil, but it looks very promising.
3. If there are, how can we make it last longer?
• While it seems like we have a fair amount of oil left, if we use it like there's no tomorrow and don't think about the effects of over using oil, we'll run out fast. We need to be acting and coming up with a plan to stop using oil.

HISTORY OF OIL

BY INTICA


  1. How did the previous actions of oil companies affect today's oil crisis?
The oil companies have drilled oil wells all over the the nation and extracted oil at a fast pace and high rate in which a well or field can not naturally renew itself. After oil wells hit their peak the oil companies can not produce enough oil to profit and sustain and investment declines therefore the cost of oil rises until the well is depleted. We depend highly on the availability of oil from outside the U.S. The cost of bringing oil to the U.S. raises the cost of oil with imposed export taxes and price regulation set by foreign countries. There have been wars over oil rights and prices.  The 1973 oil crisis came out of an embargo set by OAPEC in response to the U.S. to supplying the Israeli military.  This caused the price of oil to rise. Because the U.S. demand for oil and dependancy on oil was so high this caused a recession. The government has put limits on the amount of oil that can be extracted while some limits are determined by the availability of the well or field.  Most oil fields are outside of the U.S. and due to government agreements and regulations determine the price and availability in the U.S. There have been many oil spills and pipeline breaks causing large amounts of oil to be wasted. Oil spills are happening all over like in Baku, Venezuela, Texas, and the Middle East and the loss of oil, clean up and pipeline repair are causing the cost of oil to rise as well as the fact that large amounts of oil are wasted. 
2. Have we learned from our previous mistakes?
Obviously we have not learned from our past mistakes. Society depends heavily on the use of oil to run our transportation, factories, machinery and homes. We all think we can use as much oil as we want and we will get more but that is not the case. The demand is greater than availability. We need to use oil more cautiously and find ways to not depend so much on the use of oil or alliances with other countries. If there is another oil peak emerging then we should have already found a way to change before it even gets here.  After the 1973 oil crisis the price of oil never recovered but the overall economy rose again and car companies started making bigger vehicles that depend on more gas.  In 1956 Hubbert predicted that the oil production would hit its peak between 1956 and 1970 and be in decline there after.  The world should have began finding ways to lessen our dependance on oil around this time period.  However it is only as we get closer to the depletion of oil that we have begun finding other sources of energy. We also still dig for oil in dangerous places like the ocean.  We have already had a tragic oil spill that has affected our wildlife and economy.  We need to change our ways of retrieving oil and find a new solution for energy.
3. Can we continue this pattern into the future?
If we continued these patterns into the future, then we will eventually run out of oil and our economy will take a major dive. The cost of oil is high and our country is already in debt.  The cost of goods keeps on rising with the price of oil and will soon make many things unaffordable including driving your car. Oil companies spend trillions of dollars on oil each year. Oil has developed over millions of years and at the rate we use it won't last forever. The world uses about 26,000,000,000 barrels every year. At the rate we are using our oil, we will have enough oil to last us another 40 years. We should develop other ways to live that don’t involve using as much oil as we are now.  We need to invest our money in alternative forms of energy and relieve our dependance on oil from other countries and availability altogether.

CAN USING HORSES HELP REDUCE OUR DEPENDENCE ON OIL?

BY ZANE

1. Can horses help reduce our dependency on oil?
2. What are the advantages/disadvantages?
3. Is there a way to utilize methane gas?

How the Relative Rapid Decline of Oil Production Will Impact the U.S

by Willow T. Lark


1. How will the depletion of oil affect our financial market?
   Oil is currently an American mono-crop, meaning our economy is so inordinately dependent on oil (in comparison to the rest of the world), that for every change of production in the oil market, there is henceforth mass destabilization in America's financial status on the whole. Ever since 1973, when the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E) passed an oil embargo, and forestalled most oil harvesting in that general area, oil prices (per barrel) would spike and drop sporadically, thus causing sporadic recessions in the economy, that crawl back to a smoother level. And the most important account we should take in is that most of these recessions occur in correlation to every road block we've hit in the Middle East. Since the "stock-market" crash of 2008, prices have heavily increased from $98/barrel to $128/barrel now! With the U.S.A consumes 18,690,000 barrels/day, you do the math on the required expenditures. As oil depletes from its once abundant climax, the prices of oil will only inflate even more, such to the point that only those who don't progress onto alternative sources, and have the money, will even be able to afford oil. Those capitalists putting in the expenditures for the OPEC cartel to do their job, who are literally solely dependent on oil production, will take the hardest fall when oil has virtually reduced itself to nothing. Yet since our taxes go to these capitalists' pockets, this crisis will inevitably come back to bite us in the crumb-spot as our "mono-crop" goes extinct, and the one source our economy truly depended upon for exportation and importation in turn goes extinct. It'll be the collapse of a nationwide economical ecosystem.


2. How much does the average person spend on oil?
Considering most of oil is in demand for uses of the following: gasoline/diesel for automotive fuel; heating oil; bunker, ship, truck, and jet-line fuel (which also translates to how we import the many barrels of oil, by ship); rubber; plastic; dyes; pesticides; and even photographic film, most of our tax dollars go into funding for the consistent production of oil. Its in high demand, that goes without saying! Most of the common people of America, and even the executive government, hasn't even the slightest say in where all this money goes, for as long as many of these products are in such high demand, the oil needed to produce most of the superfluous commodities of today's American culture will have to be invested in somehow. The average American currently spends approximately $3.84/gallon on just the main usage in which oil contributes to, gasoline. The prices are currently deflating, but as we are exponentially depleting from Peak oil production, oil becomes scarce, and we estimate that gasoline could range from $7-$8/gal in just the duration of over the next ten years!


3. How do we transition our economy from oil?
How, one may ask, would those put oil to use in future circumstances? Since those that prefer oil therefore refuse to progress in our predicament, they still prefer oil based petroleum to fuel their cars, where as most will transition into use of electric cars, harvesting methane gases or utilizing solar power for electricity, or put to use the present commodities: mass transportation. One could start community based transportation, or a city could spend the $13,000 on one large solar-electric generator, to circuit electricity throughout the whole city. Since the oil mostly contributes as a fundamental to form gasoline, automobile companies could untie themselves from OPEC's apron-strings, and find ways to gather investments towards recreating electric cars! Now note all the "coulds" implemented, and then realize that we have the potential to install alternatives, but currently can't yet take initiative, because there is no ready substitute. If we don't do so now, or in the near future, this dormant oil protocol will prove fatal to when we need to protecting our economy.

~Voila! Open for discussion!

USEFUL SOURCES:
http://www.briangordon.ca/2011/05/take-initiative-transition-off-oil/comment-page-1/#comment-9636
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/ene_oil_pro_res_tho_mil_bar-proved-reserves-thousand-million-barrels
http://www.nationmaster.com/red/pie/ene_oil_con_tho_bar_dai-oil-consumption-thousand-barrels-daily
http://www.oil-price.net/en/articles/oil-caused-recession-not-wallstreet.php
http://www.oildepletionprotocol.org/getinformed/faq
http://www.eia.gov/emeu/steo/pub/contents.html

History of oil

 Question 1:  What has allowed oil to become such a big part of our lives?

            When we first started using oil (about 4000 years ago in ancient Persia) it was everywhere. In fact those who found oil were laughed at and told that it was worthless. It is told though that two brothers were traveling along a road when a pack of bandits attacked. According to legend they were about to be killed when a bandit pushed a fire torch over and it exploded. That was how people learned that oil could be burned. But while using it for light was big oil wouldn't come to see its full potential until World War II started. Then oil helped machines be made and give those machines run. This was only available though because of how cheap it was to get oil. Because it was everywhere it wasn't hard to get and the sides that ended up winning got more oil fields faster and used them about 3 times more than their enemies. Also oil was productive. For the amount of work you could from 1 barrel of oil you would have to get about 20-25 men working twice as long swifts and getting paid 3 times more each. Even as oil has become rarer and prices have gone up it is still cheap enough, and gives enough energy per dollar than people can come close to.

Question 2:  How has oil spread throughout the years?

           As I have said before the first oil use was in Persia, and when they became the biggest kingdom others decided that oil was the key to success. The Persian then traded oil to any one who would give a big enough payment. So much that scientists have found oil in China that was pumped to the surface by bamboos and air (like a giant straw). Then in 1850 a whale lover named Igancy Lukasiewicz started selling oil powered lamps instead of the then extremely expensive lamps powered by whale oil. Then history was made as Poland surprised every other country by having the first ever commercial oil well. It then took a dip in production as airplanes purposely bombed oil factories as to gain an advantage in the second World War. After World War II though the U.S used the momentum of its victory and became the largest user and producer of oil. It is still on top but has lost a lot to the Middle East (80% of all know reserves) and has just fallen behind Russia. Oil is now used for 90% of all vehicle usage and is being hated because of how the IEA (The International Energy Agency's) has predicted that oil will drop to only 10 million barrels a day (compared to 74 million in 2005) in 2015.

Question 3:  How have people changed when oil founding has changed?

              When oil has risen like finding of a new source or the extractors finally reaching their maximum   so has people ways. We simply start to use oil without thinking and wonder what more we can use it for. In a test involving 50 people 45 of all those involved (90%) used oil products more when the area they lived in had a working well. If the well were to run dry though 30 of those 50 people (60%) went to almost half their old use of oil and even talked with friends on ways to save oil. From carpools and turning off lights, to trying to dig for your own oil and stop paying the electricity bills and going back do doing things by hand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum
      
 by yotam

Oil Companies and their rein of terror

By: Piper


You can check out the links, they just give you some more info.  Whatever I thought was important I put in though. 'Scuse the profanity, it's nothing too bad, really. There's actually 4 questions, but I haven't been able to research much about the last one.


But yea, here you go:

Science: Why oil companies suck

Question: Why would the oil companies lie about how much oil really IS produced? Wouldn’t they want better energy?

Answer: Yea, sorry my lovely,  friend, but they really don’t care. Now, what do you think when I say “American economy?” Well…in your case it may be happy families, famous celebrities, and an overall sound country. Again, sorry to crush your little dreams. I think: debt crisis, obesity, health care problems, budget cuts and people living in turmoil. Yea, sucks doesn't it? WELL, MY LOVELY ASSISSTANT. We can change that, can’t we? Yes and no. Yes, because we can do numerous other things that aren’t important to this discussion. No, because we’re so dependent on oil. More than you may think. That dependency is actually ruining us. Believe it or not, we’re running OUT of oil, quicker than you would think. Buuuttttt….the oil companies aren’t telling us how much we really have left. They amplify the amount they really have, to make everyone calm so we don’t have a huge oil uproar. Oil sucks, man. I mean, look at the BP Oil Spill!!! Dude. Not cool. And about better energies? Well, lets say everyone in America uses solar panels. No electricty, what so ever. Our cars are also powered by the sun, EVERYTHING. We'd probably produce so much energy, we'd be OVER producing, using less than we make. That makes energy super dooper cheap! Like, back when we had--what we thought was--limitless amounts of oil? And it was like 25 cents per gallon? Yea, same situation here. We over produce all this energy, store it, use it when we CAN'T produce some (due to something or another, like it's really cloudy and stormy and no sun at all) then we would probably have such an abundant amount of it, that it would practically free! Think the oil companies like THAT idea?

Question: If the oil companies really ARE exaggerating about the quantity of oil, wouldn’t this be a huge deal if there was even a doubt?

Answer: Yea, wouldn’t there be? But no really, people can say all they want, they really don’t care. Think of how much MONEY they have. Let me put it in perspective for you:

            1 dude in the oil industry:

Lets say the produce 1 barrel of oil in a day. Well, a single barrel is 42 gallons of crude oil which, when processed, is about 19-20 gallons of useable gasoline (the stuff we put in our car to kill the Earth)

Your car holds aarrrooouunnndddd…12 gallons. Okay, well that’s an extremely rough estimate. So with today’s road/gas/whatever effieciency, you get about 25 miles to the gallon (according to a study in 2004) So, just on one barrel of gas, you could go about…500 miles. You could get to LA just using that one barrel.

Now, 20 gallons of gas. Well, a single gallon costs about 3.50 to almost 5 dollars. Let’s say you’re REALLY smart, and go for the 3.50 dollar gas station. For 12 gallons (what you would use to fill up your car. You have a small car) you would have to pay 42 dollars. Now, lets look at some statistics.

            According to this link: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/fuel-consumption/gas-price1.htm This is how a single dollar you pay for gas is spent:

Taxes: 13 cents

Distribution and Marketing: 8 cents

Refining: 14 cents

Crude oil: 65 cents

Roughly. So that’s a whole dollar. Well now, just that one guy made 41 dollars, just on one person!Now think of the MILLIONS upon MILLIONS of people spending 42 dollars a day on gas. Half a million people? That’s 21,000,000 dollars, A DAY, for just half a million people?! There’s 7 BILLION people in this world. According to one result I found, about 251 million people in America drive. Think of the money you would make with that! Dude, you would WANT to over estimate the amount of your oil, yet say you’re running out to jack up the prices. THAT’S why oil companies aren’t doing anything.

Question: Well, now that you fried my brain with numbers…what should we do?

Answer: Yea, I fried my brain too. I had to ask google what half a million looked like cuz of all the crazy intense stuff I was doing. But anyway, you can do anything! Yell, protest, sit around and cry. Okay. Don’t do that. Baby…but! You should totally do something, I mean…is it comforting to know that we’re practically suffocating ourselves in our own mess? Yes. I’m talking about the CO^2 in our atmosphere. Off topic? Not even close my friend.  All that stuff in our air? Yea. We put it up there, and now it’s coming back to haunt us. Global warming? Glaciers melting? The poles shrinking? Yea, we’ve all heard about it on the news, don’t kid yourself. But, WHY is it happening? You guessed it, OIL!!! Well…gas more importantly…but it’s really the same thing once you look at it. With all the cars (oil consumption), drilling OF oil (more consumption) and even just doing your job, be you a carpenter, contractor, fashion designer, you name it! In some way, shape or form, you’re contributing to the oil crisis. We’re all to blame!!! Well…except the hippies and people who have zero-energy consuming homes and walk everyone. I mean, just by writing this ANSWER, I’m burning oil. We’re all the cause of this crisis, not just your neighbor, not just the gas-guzzling car you own, not even God, or Allah, or whomever you believe in. It’s all of us. We’re all to blame. And dude, we’re to hell if we don’t do anything.

Question: How much waste is created due to crude oil?

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/fuel-consumption/gas-price1.htm

http://www.dailyfueleconomytip.com/miscellaneous/average-gas-mileage-relatively-flat-between-1980-and-2004/

http://www.californiagasprices.com/

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_people_drive_cars_each_day_in_the_US

Oil and Our Earth

Environmental Problems with Getting Oil

What is left behind when we have used up and left an oil dig?

          We have all heard about the adverse effects of oil on our planet but what is actually left behind? Even in an ideal scenario, we still leave behind deadly chemicals like PAH which is harmful or deadly to both animals and humans. Deadly chemicals as well as the disruption of animals environment are a given, but in the worst case scenarios, oil spills will companionate water supplies or environments and cause the mass execution of local populations of animals. The machinery that we currently use is large and loud, disrupting the natural systems that they are in and around. While they might not be directly killing the animals with their presence alone, they are negatively impacting the ecosystem that the animals live in.

Has there been improvement in the cleanliness of these drilling operations?

          Yes, currently it requires less drill sites to get the same amount of oil. This is partially because of a new technique called horizontal drilling. Horizontal drilling is a process that involves drilling straight down and then turning direction; this allows the drillers to get more oil while only drilling one whole. IN terms of safety and environmental consciousness, directional drilling s superior to conventional drilling, however it takes longer and in consequence in less cost efficient.

How can we reduce drillings effects on the environment more?

          No matter how much we improve our drilling techniques, there is only so much we can do. The effects of our drilling will leave scarse on our earth for generations to come. Long after the last of the oil is gone we will still be seeing the effects of our tampering on the planet. Research into alternative energy that is renewable is the only clean way. Oil can be made cleaner but only by so much.

Biodiesel... an alternative to our addiction to oil... or is it???

BIODIESEL: FRIEND OR FOE... definitely not a foe... but is it friendly? To the environment, yes, but is it a feasible alternative??? Read below for exciting news on the most exciting thing in the world: BIODIESEL.

What exactly is biodiesel?

Basically, biodiesel is a diesel made from vegetable oil or animal fats (as in tallow, what people used to make soap and candles in medieval times). It's pretty much made by reacting lipids (vegetable oil and/or animal fats) with alcohol. No, you can not run your car on candles, soap, and tequila. It's actually usually made from soybeans. You can't use biodiesel in any old gasoline engine because a diesel engine and gasoline engine are built differently since the two substances function differently, BUT you can use it in a diesel engine since it is, well, a variation of diesel.

What's so great about it... and what isn't?

Biodiesel is already used a lot. Many trucks, national parks, government fleets, commercial businesses, and school buses use it. Biodiesel is also a renewable resource so we would NEVER NEVER EVER EVER (like don't even think about it) run out. Ever. The only problem is that if everyone used biodiesel, we would have to mass produce it to a huge extent. We would completely destroy healthy soil, and, knowing how much the American corporations care for the planet, would probably cut down forests even more rapidly than they are already for more room to grow crops. The real question is, could we supply for such an excessive, insatiable demand, and if so, can we do it without completely destroying the environment?
Besides that, though, biodiesel is good for the planet and you. Biodiesel has much much much fewer harmful emissions than petroleum based fuels do which helps create a healthier environment and stop global warming. Biodiesel is also better for your lungs and heart since the emissions don't contain as many harmful chemicals. It also smells better, in fact, it usually smells like french fries!

Why don't we just keep using oil?

Many people are against using oil because of how harmful it is to our planet, but most people use it regardless. So, why make the change when most people don't want to? Well, to put it simply, we are almost out of oil. This time, we can't just "find another source" because there is no other source. Scientists have searched the world several times over, and our greedy little souls have not left one drop. Biodiesel is the next best fuel source over oil because not only is it renewable, it's one of the few green energy ideas in our grasp.

by Rue

The U.S. Government and Oil

By Tati


1. How and why do the U.S. Government and oil companies work together?

The U.S. government and oil companies are both influential powers that build and gain their power off of each other. Even though oil companies such as BP, Exxon Mobile, and Chevron already have tons of money, they are greedy, and want more. Basically, the government gives subsidies to oil companies, and in turn, the oil companies contribute money to congressional and presidential campaigns. They also give people associated with the oil companies high ranks in the administration, which gives the oil companies more even more power, and the government more money. It’s essentially a win-win situation for both of them, and an all around loss for the rest of us.

2. How much does the government subsidize oil companies, and what is a subsidy?

A subsidy is a large sum of money granted by the government to help out an industry or business. The subsidy helps to keep the price of the service or commodity low enough to avoid competition from other companies. The U.S. government currently gives subsidies through: taxes, program subsidies, and protection subsidies. The tax money is mostly used to prevent other oil companies from competing with the subsidized companies. Program subsidy money is money that is used to pay for the extraction and production of petroleum. The protection subsidy money is used for protection services required by petroleum producers and users (hence the name). In taxes, the subsidies total to about $9.1 to $17.8 billion dollars annually (that's YOUR tax money, people)! In program subsidies, the total per year is $38 to $114.6 billion. In protection subsidies, the total amounts to $27.2 to $38.2 billion annually. The grand total the government spends a year on subsidies for oil companies is approximately $123 billion dollars a year!

3. What steps (if any) are the U.S. Government taking to find renewable energy sources?

The Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding $43 million to 41 projects over the next five years to speed technical innovations, lower the costs, and quicken the projects for deploying offshore wind energy systems. The DOE also recently awarded $38 million to advance the technology and reduce the cost of geothermal energy projects, and gave almost $17 million dollars for research and advancement in hydropower technologies. In 2009, the DOE gave more than $2.2 billion dollars to universities, businesses, and industries researching and implementing their renewable energy ideas. In comparison to that $123 BILLION the government gives to oil companies every year, this isn’t that much money.


Sources:

http://www.progress.org/2003/energy22.htm


http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/347/oil-politics.html

Oil, Biodiesel, and Electric Cars

By Geneva

Which are better for the environment: biodiesel or electric cars?
Biodiesel cars run on renewable energy, not on oil. They are energy efficient, and give out much less emissions than the average car using oil. There is some debate, however, as to whether biodiesel actually gives as much energy as it costs to produce or not. Electric cars, on the other hand, don't give out any emissions at all. They are just as efficient as any other car, but a bit more expensive. In conclusion, biodiesel has many benefits but an electric car is better for the environment.
Is it bad for the environment to have an automobile run on oil?
Of course, almost every car runs on oil, and most people don't have a problem with that in their everyday lives. But most people do not know that if we don't find a good replacement for oil soon, we'll be in trouble. So, the less everyone uses oil, the more oil we'll have to save in the future. Using up lots of oil right now doesn't seem like it will make a difference environmentally, but in the end, it will.
Is the economy affected by cars running on oil?
Oil is becoming more rare as supplies diminish. The price will keep on rising until we have run out of oil and there is no oil left to sell. When that happens, we must have a plan so that we can keep on powering automobiles, planes, and machinery and so we can keep on making clothing, plastic, computers, cars, planes, boats, and almost everything else in the world. If we don't come up with a plan soon, everything that runs on oil will become obsolete.
Bibliography
Chiras, Dan. "The Pros and Cons of Biodiesel – from Ecomii." Ecomii - The Credible, Comprehensive Resource for a Healthier More Sustainable Lifestyle. Web. 27 Sept. 2011. <http://www.ecomii.com/cars/biodiesel-pros>. 
Tavares, Rico. "Learn Pros And Cons About The All Electric Car." Article Inspector. 27 Sept. 2007. Web. 27 Sept. 2011. <http://www.articleinspector.com/articles/452/1/Learn-Pros-And-Cons-About-The-All-Electric-Car/Page1.html>. 

World Oil Market / OPEC / SPR

By Ruth

1. What is the world oil market? 

The oil prices of the market are influenced by supply and demand, and all of this is influenced on economic expansion in developing countries. The problem in this is that many counties, including the US, are dependent on other countries resources to get their oil, so a problem or war in a country could, will, and has created a big problem in the oil trading industry.


2. What kind of oil is most valuable?
Oil is traded around the world  generally measured in barrels of light sweet crude oil - basically petroleum with less than 0.5% sulfur. It contains small amounts of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide. This type of  oil is used to make gasoline and is the oil that is most in demand currently. (It's called "sweet" because it low level of sulfur provides the oil with a mildly sweet taste and a more pleasant smell.) 

3. What is OPEC?
Opec is The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. This is an organization made up of all the oil-exporting countries. The counties that made up OPEC are listed below:Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. Qatar, Indonesia, Libya, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, and Nigeria. These states alone control more than 2/3 of all the world's oil reserves - that's 40% of all US oil imports. OPEC tries to influence the global price of oil by setting production quotas. If importers complain about the prices OPEC will find other buyers --- so basically, OPEC controls everything having to do with oil, and if you disagree with anything OPEC does, you're out of oil. 

Solar Power

Question: Is it possible to power an  entire household on Solar Power?

Answer: Yes, many people in the suburbs that are not close to a power grid do this. Although, some larger appliances or appliances that take a lot of power are powered alternative ways. Most of the time the power produced is sold to the electric company, and then bought back in order to power those appliances or is bought back in the evening if more power is used.

Question: How durable are solar panels and what maintenance do they need to run at full efficiency?

Answer: Solar panels are very durable and can last a very long time. But they do need some maintenance. They work the best if leaves, dirt, etc. is kept off of them and if they get sunlight from 10am to 3pm. If you have lots of trees around your home, they will be less efficient. And lastly the energy collected during the day can be saved in batteries, then used at night.

Question: What are the advantages and disadvantages of solar power?

Answer: The advantages of solar power are that while they are in use they are pollutant free, and after they are bought it is free, clean, renewable, energy. The sun is there every day and will hopefully continue to be. 

The disadvantages to solar power are that the solar panels cost around $100,000 to power or nearly power an entire home. They also create pollution when they are manufactured. And lastly, they only work when the sun is shining.

by Kyle Petersen

Oil Demand

Why is the demand for oil so high?
The demand for oil is so high because oil is a nonrenewable source of energy. Once it's gone, it's gone. Also we have adapted as an exceedingly oil-dependent society. The train gradually became less popular as Hollywood glamorized the idea of the automobile, and the invention of aircraft made trains seem inefficient. However, we became so dependent that it seems there are no other logical options for energy than oil. The demand is also high because we are running out of oil. Only one barrel of oil is found today for every four used.


Is the demand for oil caused more by the growing population or over-consumption?
Honestly, a bit of both. It's no secret that our population is huge. It's estimated that the world is supposed to reach 8 billion in 2024 and 9 billion in 2045. Our population today is more than twice what it was in 1960 (where it was a mere 3 billion). It's easy to assume that we can't point fingers at over-consumption, it's just that we have to supply a massive amount of people. Here's where this is a misconception. The United States consumes an estimated 18,690,000 barrels of oil per day and that's by a long shot for the rest of the world. The World Bank predicts over a billion people in developing countries will join the 'global middle class'. This means though that over a billion will be consuming more than before, closer to the amount Americans consume. Of course we can't ask these nations not to develop, but with more people with more money and more consumption, we're bound to run out.

How does Peak Oil relate to demand?
Peak oil is basically the last large amount of oil supply, or when it's at its "peak" before the supply goes down, and the price and demand go up. The peak of oil in the United States was before 1970, and according to the documentary A Crude Awakening, in the early '70s half over 1/2 the world didn't use oil. Now as the United States Oil production is going down every year, oil is as getting more expensive and we need so much to cater to our population and over-consumption.

Megan Fabry                                                                        

Slowing Down Oil Depletion

By Alice

Okay, so is this what we're supposed to be doing? Posting our WHOLE answers? Because mine take up a LOT of space. But they're funny so it all balances out. (the last one's the best!)

1. Question: What's the main cause for this and what are some general ideas for how we can help?
   Answer: One of the most obvious ways we can decrease our oil intake is by driving less. This is one of the most direct causes for oil depletion – way too much gas being used in cars for a way too cheap price. If we don't drive less, we could at least pay more for it. Now we're practically paying nothing. It's only fair. In fact, over 244 million vehicles drive around the US each day. And that's only America, not even stretching out into the rest of the world yet! The next most pressing issue is diesel. That's really the same as gasoline, its just uses a significant amount less oil. Heating oil is also something that is used a bunch, especially in the US. It helps heat furnaces. We really don't need that much heat, now do we? Seriously? Come on America! And then to continue on with how we can help out – fly less! I mean, duh! Judging the fact that we're flying around in a steel tube in the air from place to place and being powered by this magical oil substance, we should be paying way more. Not only that, but some people just fly for fun. That's a total waste, considering how much oil we have left. (COUGHHUMMERSCOUGH). Then there's bunker oil, which is also really not that much of an issue – it powers ships. I guess it's better than flying. Maybe... don't order stuff from so far away next time you use eBay? Good idea. Then there's all the miscellaneous products we use every single day and don't think how much of a waste it all is. These include rubber, synthetic fibers, fertilizer/pesticide, paint, detergent, plastic, photographic film, food additives, medicine (plus the bottles!), make-up, dyes, candles... Again – COME ON! We can cut back on all of these a great deal and then magically our estimate for how much longer our oil will last will shoot way up! Just think. No mascara equals maybe a year more of driving! How cool is that?
2. Question: In the area of transportation, specifically, what can we do?
   Answer: As a first, we can eliminate every single outrageous Hummer on this planet. But that's just a personal preference. Like I said before, we can drive less. When your school is ten minutes away by car, it wouldn't hurt you that much to wake up a little earlier and walk, now would it? Sure, you're groggy in the mornings, and really don't want to wake up a vital fifteen minutes earlier. But that alone can make a significant change in everybody's future lives if everyone who can participate does. (I can't, for example. I live 30 miles away....) Again, if you are clinically opposed to walking, as painful as it is, you could maybe either bike or take a bus, or even carpool! You don't even need to not use a vehicle, just the less cars that are used, the better. Then there's another easy transportation issue. PLANES. “Super-sonic sky buckets”. Think about it for a second. Have you ever gone on a family vacation? Of course you have. Have you gone by plane? Even more likely. Did it even occur to you that you were floating thousands of feet above ground at incredibly high speeds in a flicking steel coffin?! I doubt it. It just seemed normal. Maybe the one strange thing you encountered was the security! Then again, consider it. About 10% of all oil is used in planes. This may not seem like much, but it still would make a pretty sizable difference if we didn't fly as much. (Hint: Maybe we could, say, raise the prices? We're flying in a steel coffin after-all.) Then there's the less pressing issue of trains, ships, etc. They aren't really that oil-guzzling over all. Maybe a total of 7% of all oil goes to that purpose. The one thing that can help that, (and flight [and driving too!]) is buying local. DUH! How do you think those imported orangutan hairs got to your house? Definitely not by magic. They probably first crossed some seas to get to America, then some giant hummer-like truck drove them all the way to some airport in the middle of Kansas, and then they were flown to your city and conveniently delivered by a UPS truck. Convenient for the planet too, eh? Not quite.
3. Question: How can we decrease all other sources? Specifically.
   Answer: Ha. Ha. Ha. Stupid America. You think that you can lie to us about how much oil is left and continue selling us TV's and magazines in which you'll keep on advertising fertilizers, paints, chap-sticks, clothes, fridges, cars, and cheap airline prices. Well screw you. You're wrong. You can't go on like this, or else we'll all end up hitting the end of oil head first, and not be able to convert back to wax candles and milking cows each morning. All. Your. Fault. Okay this is becoming more of a “Blame America” rather than a “Question” blog. Let's try this again. Every day we watch TV, see adds, read magazines, and listen to our friends. These are all things that help us want to buy stuff. Stuff and stuff and stuff that accumulates and is eventually thrown out. Tough luck for us, this stuff that we throw away and incinerate after it has been collecting dust on our shelves for three years is a whole bunch of junk. But we all knew that. Its a whole bunch of junk that's helping deplete our oil supply. Whoa. That we don't all know. We think that when we wake up in the morning, put on our half-plastic Converse, brush our teeth with our crap toothbrush and tooth paste, drive to work in our Hummer, use a laptop, go buy lunch, etc. we don't really make much of a difference in our oil supply. Well you're wrong you idiot! Almost of 20% of our oil supply ends up being used for random crap, half of which we don't even use – we just buy it cause it looked cool on TV. Hold it right there! TV?! Could that be made of almost all oil too? Well congrats!!! You've got it! We get sold oil, from something made out of oil, which comes from people who don't give a shit about how much oil is left and lie to us about it! What an oil crisis! So just take a breath. Calm down. Smell the roses. Recover from all that cursing up there. And think again. Would the world die if girls didn't use make-up? I don't think so. Would the world die if you didn't get your magical herb soap from Africa? I don't think so. Would the world die if people didn't watch so much TV? I don't think so. If we cut back on all these superfluous materials, nothing bad would happen! N.O.T.H.I.N.G. Take it from me. Maybe a few upset girls, some furious soap-collectors, and a handful of mad football fans but that's all! Would you rather have that or go back to the dino-age when we still ate raw turkey for thanksgiving – wait, before thanksgiving!! But all in all, let's just say that not getting your imported orangutan hairs will not kill you. 

OIL IN INDUSTRY

BY RY

1. What role does oil play in manufacturing/industry?
2. What alternative can be used to replace oil in industry?
3. What would a grocery store look like without oil?

RATE OF OIL DEPLETION - DEMAND/SUPPLY

by: Keelan MF




Q. How fast will oil deplete? How much time to prepare?


A. first off peak oil is when we have discover and used the most oil possible and from there it is a decline in the amount of oil we have. predictions vary some say it already happened and some say it wont happen till  at least 2100 but most agree we will peak between 2015 an 2020, and from there our oil will decline exponential and will soon be completely out of oil. these estimated give us a generous 50 years untill we cant use oil as a source of dependable energy


Q. Can we obtain new sources of energy (not oil) in time?


A. this can really depend. most energy sources are extremely expensive (all much more than then oil) and the government would rather invest in the big oil companys the to the smaller green energy companys. and the fact that most green energy sources like wind and solar are unreliable and don't work in certain areas. so if we find  some great new source of energy that is cheap and reliable I'm sure that the government will have it funded and running strong by the time our oil is gone.



Q. Is there any way we can increase the time we have to transition to no oil energy?


A. we cant prolong peaking unless we find another huge field. but  if we cut back on energy consumption of all kinds like riding bikes instead of cars and not buying as much plastic. we could graduate the decline.

Bio Diesel

By Max

• What is it? How is it used?

Bio diesel is a source of energy made from vegetable oil (usually corn oil), or animal fat based oils. It is converted into diesel and burned for energy. The oil produced can be used just like the oil that we put to use now.

• Is it cost effective?

No. Bio diesel costs more than petroleum diesel and gas because of the tax rates imposed by the oil companies driving up the price increase. Otherwise the two prices would be almost the same. Seeing as the oil companies hold the monopoly on the industry, they drive up the oil cost by tax increase. This makes oil significantly cheaper but still profitable for the oil companies, especially when the majority of people choose the cheaper alternative, driving up the companies income. Because of the cost of cropping and growing vegetables for bio diesel will drive up the cost. Sugar-cane is the most cost effective source of bio diesel but not the most plentiful so one of the least used.

• What is the environmental impact?

Corn is a common source of vegetable oil but soybean oil is also used. Other oil sources include: mustard, flax, sunflower, palm, coconut, and hemp oil. These crops are usually mono-cropped and harvested in mass amounts. Animal fats used include tallow, lard, yellow grease, chicken fat, and fish oil. The dependence on oil would be reduced, causing much more dependence and use of local resources such as coal, gas, and other renewable resources. While this would reduce gas emissions the crop sizes would be greatly reduced.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiesel
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/what%20we%20do/uk%20energy%20supply/energy%20mix/renewable%20energy/explained/bioenergy/biofuels/biofuels-080414-2.pdf

CLEAN AND RENEWABLE ENERGIES - similarities/differences

By Michael Lucas

1. What are clean and renewable energies?

Clean energy is energy that does not cause CO2 to be released into the atmosphere, and is also known as green energy. It may, however, harm the environment in other ways. An excellent example of this is nuclear energy, which, yes, does not produce CO2, and is very efficient. However, it creates nuclear waste as a byproduct after the plutonium/uranium that was generating the energy is used up. This name may be slightly misleading because of the fact that is only partially clean. Clean energy is a broader subject than renewable energy, and also includes every renewable energy source. Here is a list of "clean" energy sources:

• Anaerobic digestion
• Biomass power
• Geothermal energy
• Hydro power
• Nuclear energy
• Power derived from the incineration of waste
• Solar power
• Tidal power
• Wave power
• Wind power

Renewable energy is energy that comes from natural sources and can be used without draining the power source. Essentially, something that can be used forever without being depleted. There is no specification that renewable energy is non-detrimental to the environment. It is merely standard and expected, because it cannot be used perpetually if it's damaging to the environment. Here is a list of renewable energy sources:

• Biofuel
• Biomass
• Geothermal energy
• Hydro power
• Solar power
• Wind power

There are also new renewable energy sources being researched by scientists:

• Artificial photosynthesis
• Cellulosic energy
• Enhanced geothermal systems
• Experimental solar power
• Ocean power(different from tidal power)

     2.  How are clean and renewable energies different from oil? Why does it matter?

Clean and renewable energy are different from oil because they are sustainable sources, unlike oil which will peak soon if it hasn't all ready. It will be important to keep an open mind about renewable energy sources if we are to continue to power large cities where everyone has heating, lighting and various other appliances which all depend on electricity or oil. For more information on peak oil see Megan's post.

     3.  Why are clean and renewable energies important with the coming oil crisis?

Clean and renewable energy will be important in the coming oil crisis because of our immense population and the high demand for oil and electricity and other such things that are mostly created with oil, a good example of being plastic. In several aspects it is absolutely necessary to resort to alternative energy, renewable being the obvious answer do to its limitless possibilities. The one drawback to renewable energy is that it can be expensive for one person to pay for a large scale project like installing solar panels or miniature wind mills, which are the most popular sources of renewable energy. However, it will not be easy to make it through the next century without renewable energy to fall back on.