New Book: "Out of Gas: The End of The Age of Oil" By David Goodstein

Here is something worth reading for those who enjoy their gasoline powered cars.

Mr. Goodstein paints a dire picture of the future of fossil fuel powered cars, and our economy, which also happens to be powered by fossil fuels. Oil is obviously a limited resource, and the alternatives are not yet well developed. Mr. Goodstein calls for additional funding for research in this area. If he and many others are correct, our economy will stall before an infrastructure to replace oil can be put in place. We must move now to prevent this. He acknowledges that this is unlikely to happen given the way our politicians work - a crisis, and only a crisis drives action which might actually be useful to the population at large. But by the time the crisis will develop it will be too late for the economy to avoid meltdown.

Mr. Goodstein also discusses how heat is translated into work, heat engines, entropy, how energy relates to our environment, and some possible technological fixes. Some interesting background... For example, I like most people forget the fact that fuel cells still require fuel for its chemical reaction, and the creation of that fuel currently takes more energy than is saved through the use of the fuel cell. Hopefully this will change as fuel cell technology advances, but it brings forward the thought, that we must consider the full life cycle chain of our energy production.

The ratio of known reserves of oil to rate of use, the R/P ratio, is 40 years as of 2001 according to the BP website. Some others, who apply Hubbert's peak principles to oil supplies, say within the decade. The U.S. department of energy says 96 years. When will the crisis really occur? The Hubbert's peak assumption is that the crisis will occur when falling supply meets continued rising demand, the half-way point of total oil consumption. Many say we have already passed this point.

Mr. Goodstein states a warning that "Civilization as we know it will come to an end sometime in this century unless we can find a way to live without fossil fuels."

Unfortunately our present leaders are unwilling to acknowldege an energy problem even exists.

Well worth a read to get started on this issue.