Kenneth S. Deffeyes Knihy

With world oil production nearing its peak and set for decline, the urgency of finding alternative fuels to meet rising global energy demands has intensified. This once-remote concern is now pressing, as numerous publications highlight the impending depletion of vital oil reserves. The author, a geologist who first alerted the public to the looming oil crisis, shifts focus to potential replacement fuels and their production futures, employing analytical methods from renowned petroleum expert M. King Hubbert. The discussion encompasses natural gas, coal, tar sands, heavy oils, oil shale, uranium, and hydrogen, which, while not a direct energy resource, is included for its relevance. A final chapter synthesizes the overall energy landscape, outlining the mix of sources likely needed in the near future, emphasizing the importance of conservation, high-mileage diesel vehicles, nuclear energy, and wind power. With expertise in the field, the author adopts an informed yet optimistic perspective on the ongoing debate. His primary concern lies not in long-term adjustments to a post-oil world but in the immediate future, stressing the critical nature of the next decade: "Through our inattention, we have wasted the years that we might have used to prepare for lessened oil supplies."

Geophysicist M. King Hubbert predicted in 1956 that U.S. oil production would reach its highest level in the early 1970s. Though roundly criticized by oil experts and economists, Hubbert's prediction came true in 1970. In this revised and updated edition reflecting the latest information on the world supply of oil, Kenneth Deffeyes uses Hubbert's methods to find that world oil production will peak in this decade--and there isn't anything we can do to stop it. While long-term solutions exist in the form of conservation and alternative energy sources, they probably cannot--and almost certainly will not--be enacted in time to evade a short-term catastrophe.