ABSTRACT
We do not attempt here to predict how long any fuel will last. The future is unknown to energy forecasters, and there is plenty of evidence to support this observation [1]. Our objective is much more modest: to show how much energy is reported to be available by credible sources and how long it could last given today’s consumption patterns. Hopefully, engineers and society will respond as in the past, and as a resource is depleted and its price increases, other sources will be developed. The only aspect that could be different this time is the concern with avoiding environmental damage. We also speculate as to the impact of reasonable discoveries or advanced technology on the lifetime of the resource. We cannot ascertain, with any technique, what the future will hold. Arguably, however, we can arrive at conclusions that may serve to guide our work to meet the challenges to come.
