Fossil fuels will not run out soon and alternatives will not replace them in the near future. While consumption of fossil fuels has increased dramatically, estimates that they would run out date back to the early 20th century and have been inaccurate. Renewable resources like wind and solar still only account for a small percentage of global energy usage despite subsidies, and producing energy from them requires significantly more land. While fossil fuel usage has risks for climate change, their benefits have also allowed unprecedented increases in standards of living and agricultural productivity. A balanced approach is needed that incorporates energy efficiency along with continued development of alternatives like nuclear and carbon capture technology.

1. FOSSIL FUELS
WILL IT SAVE THE
WORLD? (Really)
Energy
Energy
1
Energy
2

2. Objective:
• To understand the current scenario of world
energy consumption
• Some Myths on Fossil Fuels

3. Introduction to Fossil Fuels
• They are Fuels
• Formed of anaerobic Decomposition of buried
dead organism
• Contains high % of carbon
• Eg: Coal, Petroleum and Natural Gas

4. Myths of Fossil Fuels
• They will very soon run out
• Cant afford at the cost of climatic
consequences
• Alternative source of energy will price them
out

5. 1. They will run out soon
• India is 4th largest consumer of energy in
world
• In 2013- 87% of world energy – comes from
Fossil Fuels
USAGE OF
FOSSIL
FUELS
Gas mainly for Heating

6. Continue…
• Effects: Consumption has ed dramatically
• Change: high carbon coal to low carbon gas in
electricity generation
• Renewable energy- contribution to carbon
emission
• So the argument that Fossil fuels will run out
is dead at least for a while

7. Prediction since 1900’s
• In 1922 - US presidential commission
• In 1977 - President Jimmy Carter announced
on Television
• Ironic truth- Non renewable resource will ever
run dry
• While renewable resources- whale, cod,
forests, passenger pigeons have frequently
done so.

8. 2. New rivals will shortly price them
out
• Substitute- Nuclear Energy
• World Nuclear output declined from 6% in
2003 to 4% today.
• Energy Information Administration: this will
inch back up to 6.7% by 2035
• Nuclear is now able to compete with Fossil
fuels only when it is subsidized

9. Continue….
• Problems with renewable resources
• Hydroelectric, Geothermal, bioenergy –
Produces more CO2 than coal
• Wind power- used up all public money for
expansion- 1% of world energy consumption
• Solar for all the hype accounted for- 0% of
world energy consumption.
• Video

10. Issues of Renewable resources
• Wind & Solar are reliant on subsidies
• World-wide subsidies given to renewable
resources is $10 / Gigajoule
• Cost coming down in case of solar- but energy
they produce would still struggle to compete
with FF.

11. Continue….
• Major is, it require more space and produce
too little energy
• Eg: Solar Impulse and Solar powered Aircraft
• Eg: to run entire US economy on wind it would
require wind farms of size of Texas, California,
New Mexico combined
• And to power it on wood would require a
forest covering 2/3rd of US

12. 3. Its changing climatic conditions
• In case of US, there has been roughly 9,000%
increase in good & services available to
average person since 1800- powered by or
propelled by FF
• Indoor air pollution from woods kills 4 million
of people a year.
• FF contributed to preserving the planet.
• World has certainly warmed since 19th
century- effect is slow & erratic

13. Continued….
• No drastic increase in frequency or severity of
storms or droughts, no acceleration of sea
levels rise.
• Arctic sea ice ed but on the contrary
Antarctic sea ice ed
• Scientists agreed- CO2 in air improved in crop
yield & roughly 14% increase in types of green
vegetation on planet since 1980

14. Conclusion…
• Should encourage switch from coal to gas in
electricity generation
• Provide incentives for energy efficiency
• Get nuclear power back on track & keep developing
solar power and electricity storage
• Invest in research on ways to absorb CO2 from air
• Research to find some unexpected new energy
technology

15. Bibliography
• The Wall Street Journal article
• http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=17
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Thank you