In this article, we will inspect how long fossil fuels will last. Natural gas, coal, and oil are non-renewable sources of energy, and our reserves are constantly getting emptier. What is the solution? Is building more nuclear power plants inevitable or can we go green in the next decades?
Fossil fuels running out fast
Fossil fuels are non-renewable resources. They formed millions of years ago. The Earth’s heat, the pressure, and the movement of the layers decomposed plants and animals, turning them into petroleum, oil, coal, and natural gas. The deeper we dig, the more likely it is to find natural gas and oil resources.
The global demand has not reached the peak yet. Year by year, global energy consumption is getting higher, therefore the use of fossil fuels is getting higher too. We simply do not have enough renewable energy to supply our industries’ and populations’ full demand.
Global demand for fossil fuels
Source:https://ourworldindata.org/fossil-fuels
Global consumption of fossil fuels is still rising by more than 1% each year. However, oil has started to ‘lose’ its popularity in favour of natural gas, which is good for the environment.
Learn more aboutenvironmental impacts.
Source:https://ourworldindata.org/fossil-fuels
Natural gas is the most eco-friendly fossil fuel. We consider it as a bridge between non-renewable and renewable sources of energy.
The problem is that fossil fuels formed millions of years ago, so waiting for new fossil fuels to form is not an option with our rising demand. Our reserves will be empty soon.
How much fossil fuel is left?
Formed millions of years ago, yet only used for around 200 years, fossil fuel reserves are emptying very quickly. It is also obvious that the exact date of running out of these fuels remains unknown. It is because we continue to discover new reserves, however, the number of new
reserves is low: they cannot meet our population’s needs with the current and expected future levels of usage.
Former Saudi oil minister Sheik Ahmed Zahi Yamani said: "The stone age came to an end, not for lack of stones, and the oil age will end, but not for lack of oil."
How many years of fossil fuels are left?
According to research based on 2015 data, the current statement of when our reserves will be emptied is this:
- Oil: 51 years
- Coal: 114 years
- Natural gas: 53 years
Source:https://ourworldindata.org/fossil-fuels
Other sources estimate that we will run out of fossil fuels much earlier – for example, oil deposits will be gone by 2052.
We do not just have to reduce our consumption of fossil fuels and switch to green energy because we run out of supplies, but also because coal and oil are harming our environment badly.
Source:Forbes.com
Renewables only provide 5% of our energy needs, while nuclear energy supports our demand with 4% of energy. Nuclear power plants are also safe sources of energy, the problem is the storing of nuclear waste.
The world is more likely to take the ‘green way’ instead of the ‘nuclear way’.
Read more aboutdecarbonization: what can you do against climate change?
Conclusion: how long will fossil fuels last?
- It is predicted that we will run out of fossil fuels in this century.
- Oil can last up to 50 years, natural gas up to 53 years, and coal up to 114 years.
- Yet, renewable energy is not popular enough, so emptying our reserves can speed up.
FAQs
If we keep burning fossil fuels at our current rate, it is generally estimated that all our fossil fuels will be depleted by 2060.
How long until we run out of fossil fuels? ›
Conclusion: how long will fossil fuels last? It is predicted that we will run out of fossil fuels in this century. Oil can last up to 50 years, natural gas up to 53 years, and coal up to 114 years. Yet, renewable energy is not popular enough, so emptying our reserves can speed up.
How many years of oil is left? ›
World Oil Reserves
The world has proven reserves equivalent to 46.6 times its annual consumption levels. This means it has about 47 years of oil left (at current consumption levels and excluding unproven reserves).
Will we still be using fossil fuels in 2050? ›
While President Joe Biden has stated that the nation will eliminate all fossil fuels within a decade, the EIA's projections don't support that goal. According to the EIA's latest report, by 2050, consumption of coal, natural gas and oil will still make up the majority of where Americans get their energy from.
What will happen when fossil fuels run out? ›
When there comes a day when we do not have the power to keep factories going, many industries will shut down. When we have no more fuel to move products around, people will flee from the cities to survive. In the end, national economies would sink into a deep economic depression.
Is the Earth still making oil? ›
Today, the U.S. produces about 6.8 billion barrels of oil every year. According to OPEC, more than 70 million barrels are produced worldwide every day. That is almost 49,000 barrels per minute. Although that seems like an impossibly high amount, the uses for petroleum have expanded to almost every area of life.
Can we live without fossil fuels? ›
Entering a World Without Fossil Fuels
As long as we continue working towards mitigating climate change through alternative energy sources, we will soon be able to power the world exclusively through renewable energy.
Can the US produce enough oil for itself? ›
You see, the U.S. does produce enough oil to meet its own needs, but it is the wrong type of oil. Crude is graded according to two main metrics, weight and sweetness. The weight of oil defines how easy it is to refine, or break down into its usable component parts, such as gasoline, jet fuel and diesel.
What year will there be no oil left? ›
According to the MAHB, the world's oil reserves will run out by 2052, natural gas by 2060 and coal by 2090. The U.S. Energy Information Association said in 2019 that the United States has enough natural gas to last 84 years.
Where is the most untapped oil? ›
Thanks to the shale oil boom, the US is now sitting on more oil reserves than Russia, which estimates as having 256 billion barrels of untapped oil. The next-richest countries in terms of oil after that are: Saud Arabia (212 billion), Canada (167 billion), Iran (143 billion) and Brazil (120 billion).
Climate shifts like heat waves could restrict the ability of people to work outdoor, and, in extreme cases, put their lives at risk. Under a 2050 climate scenario developed by NASA, continuing growth of the greenhouse emission at today's rate could lead to additional global warming of about 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050.
Will fossil fuels replenish? ›
Fossil fuels are non-renewable resources. They formed millions of years ago. The Earth's heat, the pressure, and the movement of the layers decomposed plants and animals, turning them into petroleum, oil, coal, and natural gas.
What will the world look like in 2050? ›
By 2050 , the world's population will exceed at least 9 billion and by 2050 the population of India will exceed that of China. By 2050, about 75% of the world population will be living in cities. Then there will be buildings touching the sky and cities will be settled from the ground up.
Is the US running out of oil? ›
The reality is not that we are “running out of oil,” but rather that we are transitioning from a period of easily-accessible oil at low prices to an era of increasingly unconventional production, which has higher costs.
How much oil is left in the United States? ›
We estimate that the United States had 44,418 million barrels of proved reserves of crude oil and lease condensate as of December 31, 2021—an increase of 16% from year-end 2020.
How much oil is left on earth? ›
World Oil Reserves
The world has proven reserves equivalent to 46.6 times its annual consumption levels. This means it has about 47 years of oil left (at current consumption levels and excluding unproven reserves).
How long will US oil reserves last? ›
Oil Reserves in the United States
The United States has proven reserves equivalent to 4.9 times its annual consumption. This means that, without imports, there would be about 5 years of oil left (at current consumption levels and excluding unproven reserves).
How much gas is left on earth? ›
World Gas Reserves
The world has proven reserves equivalent to 52.3 times its annual consumption. This means it has about 52 years of gas left (at current consumption levels and excluding unproven reserves).
