What will happen when fossil fuels run out

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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 about environmental 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.

Fossil fuels power our industries. It creates modern global transportation. Manufacturing industries harness it to reach the market demands for products and goods.

However, burning carbon-based fuels produces large amounts of carbon dioxide. This results in the greenhouse effect, which drives climate change.

What type of scenario will happen if we run out of Fossil fuels one day?

1) Electrical Failure

Electricity is created by Fossil Fuels in the Power generators. If fossil fuels run out one day, electricity failure will happen.

This will produce an undesirable occurrence in hospitals in low-to-middle income countries. When fossil fuels are not available, surgeries will be affected halfway. Ventilators and a lot of medical treatment machines will stop working. Patients will be in critical conditions throughout the hospital.

2) Global Transportation

Global Transportation is the reason that humans are able to survive through covid-19. Without fossil fuel, essential items such as masks and PPE are unable to reach to other countries in time.

Large-scale international trade would shut down. Commuter transportation could transit to electric rail or electric cars quickly. Let’s face the inevitable news. For container ships, renewable energy is unable to power them across the world.

Most large cargo vessels are powered by bunker fuel. It is also known as Heavy Fuel Oil, which contains higher Sulphur levels than diesel.

3) Food chain logistics will be disrupt

Without global transportation, food chain logistics will be badly affected. Restaurants will be the first industry to shut down in batches.

Sushi restaurants will find it hard to import fresh salmon from Japan without global transportation.

Food production would have to be local. Electricity shortages might make refrigerators too expensive to run. Big cities would lose their living appeal. People will move out in droves to rural areas to live closer to food sources.

4) Economy will grind to a halt

International trade would grind to a halt. The global economy will be constrained to a semi-local condition as there will be no more fuel to move products around. Foreign goods would become expensive. National economies that depend on international trade would sink into a deep economic depression.

However, it doesn’t look too bad.

Covid-19 has shown us that humans are adaptative to our surroundings. We will move forward as a new agrarian society, with advanced technological skills and a cleaner environment.

Fortunately, the world is searching for various ways to use clean energy

Right now, we are seeking out renewables energy, such as wind, solar, hydro, and biomass.

More than 80% of new electricity generating projects built last year were renewable. It has led to a 10.3% rise in total installed zero-carbon electricity generation globally.

Can we survive without fossil fuels?

What will happen if we don't stop fossil fuels?

How long until we run out of fossil fuels?

Will fossil fuels run out in 50 years?