Friday, December 3, 2010

Fossil Fuels, Strange Arithmetic

I'm a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).  I've been disappointed by AAAS's silence on the issues of hydrocarbon decline.  In one of the email bulletins they send out, they had a link to a panel discussion on energy.  Here are the opening two paragraphs--
Fossil fuels provide about 80% of the world’s energy and, despite dire predictions since the early 20th century, supplies will not run out any time soon, according to speakers at a AAAS discussion on meeting global energy demand.
“Oil is good for 50 years at current consumption rates, [and] could be extended longer as you go to more difficult resources,” said Steven E. Koonin, under secretary for science at the U.S. Department of Energy. “Coal—there are hundreds of years.”
This is an extraordinarily ill-thought out set of statements.