We have quite possibly ruined the entire Gulf of Mexico for 11.3 years of oil

[Cees Binkhorst]

REPLY TO: D66 at nic.surfnet.nl

Wie was dat ook alweer, die achteruit keek en spijt kreeg?

Groet / Cees

Should We Even Bother With Offshore Oil? A Look at the Numbers
http://deepseanews.com/
Filed under Conservation & Environment, Oil Spills by Dr. M

One doesn’t need to look very far to find someone pondering the future
of offshore drilling.  The recent catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico is a
stark reminder of the high-risk, high-payoff game the future could be.
You know the risks…loss of fishing and tourism revenue, human life,
human health, declining ecosystem function, diminishing biodiversity,
and overall environmental degradation.  But what of the payoff?  How
much offshore oil is out there and how long will it sustain us?

According to Annual Energy Outlook (Table 10 pg 57) produced by the
Energy Information Association and the Department of Energy in 2007,
59.09 billion barrels was technically recoverable in the U.S. offshore
oil holdings.  40.92 billion barrels are in the Gulf of Mexico alone.
According to a 2008 article in the San Francisco Chronicle, the federal
government estimates the total reserve for our nation’s outer
continental shelf at around 85.9 billion barrels.

How long will that oil last us?  At 7.56 billion barrels of oil per
year.  Between 7.9-11.3 years.  That’s it.  We have quite possibly
ruined the entire Gulf of Mexico for 11.3 years of oil.

What is the global offshore reserves?  350 billion barrels.  The global
annual consumption of oil…31.2 billion barrels. That is just 11.2 years
worth of oil at our current consumption rate.

Of course all of these are estimates and there is likely variance in any
one of them.  However, our oil consumption is not likely to magically
decrease by half and fairy dust will not make our reserves double.  But
even if they were, would 16-24 years make you feel any better than 8-12?
  It doesn’t for me.

These simple calculations demonstrate that oil cannot be our future.  I
am not willing to gamble our oceans on a temporary fix from offshore
drilling.

**********
Dit bericht is verzonden via de informele D66 discussielijst (D66 at nic.surfnet.nl).
Aanmelden: stuur een email naar LISTSERV at nic.surfnet.nl met in het tekstveld alleen: SUBSCRIBE D66 uwvoornaam uwachternaam
Afmelden: stuur een email naar LISTSERV at nic.surfnet.nl met in het tekstveld alleen: SIGNOFF D66
Het on-line archief is te vinden op: http://listserv.surfnet.nl/archives/d66.html
**********