If you've never heard of peak oil before then you're not alone. It has got a bit of mainstream coverage, but on the whole it is not talked about very much. The first thing that this article is gong to explore, then, is what it's all about. And then it will explain how solar energy can combat it.
Peak Oil Theory
The basics of the peak oil theory are very basic. It states that, as oil is going to run out, there will come a time when we are not able to extract as much as we could before. However that's not going to be because it's not there, but simply because it is more difficult to extract.
One of the crutches that this theory relies upon is the idea that oil is a finite resource on this planet. This means, of course, that if we keep using it then it will run out. There's also the abiotic theory of oil, however, which states that it is not finite, that more is being made all the time. Not many people hold that view though.
What the majority of people do think though, if they have an opinion at all, is that oil won't run out for a very long time, hundreds of years in fact. That's a widely held belief. Where the peak oil theorists differ is by saying that, first of all, there probably isn't as much a we think. And secondly, long before we run out, extracting the resources will be too difficult.
Here's the way that peak oil is supposed to work. When you first have an oil well, getting the oil is easy. And each year you're able to get out more than the previous year. However at some point this is going to slow down and then stop. When you consistently can't get out more than you got out before, then you'll be at the peak.
Once you have reached the peak, it will no longer be possible to get out as much as you did before. When you leave the plateau, you'll be producing less and less instead. And this will become so difficult at some stage that you just have to give up.
They have some evidence for this view, in the oil fields in the USA. They were some of the earliest to be found, and so we have quite a lot of data on them. And they depleted in just the way that was just described, in a sort of bell curve. And now, the proponents say that worldwide peak production is about to hit, if it hasn't hit already.
Is there any evidence for a worldwide peak? Well, all you have to do is look at the prices. They're certainly going up, and certainly have a lot over the last 10 years. However there are all sorts of other factors which might have led to this as well, so it's not definitive evidence. The problem is though, if oil gets too expensive, so that businesses can't operate profitably, then that will mean a major, and perhaps final, economic collapse.
How Solar Power Helps
Whether the conventional view is right or whether it's the peak oil theorists, we're going to need an alternative energy source at some point. The only problem is, if the peak oil theory is correct then we are going to need it a lot sooner than most people expect.
The only alternative energy sources that we have available are renewable sources. They're not as efficient, and we're not using very much of them, but they are probably our best hope. Of course there are all different sorts, but solar power is probably the best that we have.
Peak Oil Theory
The basics of the peak oil theory are very basic. It states that, as oil is going to run out, there will come a time when we are not able to extract as much as we could before. However that's not going to be because it's not there, but simply because it is more difficult to extract.
One of the crutches that this theory relies upon is the idea that oil is a finite resource on this planet. This means, of course, that if we keep using it then it will run out. There's also the abiotic theory of oil, however, which states that it is not finite, that more is being made all the time. Not many people hold that view though.
What the majority of people do think though, if they have an opinion at all, is that oil won't run out for a very long time, hundreds of years in fact. That's a widely held belief. Where the peak oil theorists differ is by saying that, first of all, there probably isn't as much a we think. And secondly, long before we run out, extracting the resources will be too difficult.
Here's the way that peak oil is supposed to work. When you first have an oil well, getting the oil is easy. And each year you're able to get out more than the previous year. However at some point this is going to slow down and then stop. When you consistently can't get out more than you got out before, then you'll be at the peak.
Once you have reached the peak, it will no longer be possible to get out as much as you did before. When you leave the plateau, you'll be producing less and less instead. And this will become so difficult at some stage that you just have to give up.
They have some evidence for this view, in the oil fields in the USA. They were some of the earliest to be found, and so we have quite a lot of data on them. And they depleted in just the way that was just described, in a sort of bell curve. And now, the proponents say that worldwide peak production is about to hit, if it hasn't hit already.
Is there any evidence for a worldwide peak? Well, all you have to do is look at the prices. They're certainly going up, and certainly have a lot over the last 10 years. However there are all sorts of other factors which might have led to this as well, so it's not definitive evidence. The problem is though, if oil gets too expensive, so that businesses can't operate profitably, then that will mean a major, and perhaps final, economic collapse.
How Solar Power Helps
Whether the conventional view is right or whether it's the peak oil theorists, we're going to need an alternative energy source at some point. The only problem is, if the peak oil theory is correct then we are going to need it a lot sooner than most people expect.
The only alternative energy sources that we have available are renewable sources. They're not as efficient, and we're not using very much of them, but they are probably our best hope. Of course there are all different sorts, but solar power is probably the best that we have.
About the Author:
You can get a free quotation regarding the solar panel installation company from the website Lucas Turner regularly writes articles at, Solar Energy UK.
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