Angel Benway, age 11, of Rensselaer, N.Y. for her question:
What will happen when we run out of petroleum?
The so called energy crisis refers to our dwindling supplies of petroleum.It should not surprise us. After all,we knew that the earth's supplies are limited, and we have squandered them at a great rate. Obviously we must change our extravagant use of petroleum in order to conserve what we have left. Obviously, our society must strive hard to develop other energy sources to replace petroleum.
The present petroleum picture seems confused because experts describe it from different points of view. Geologists tell us that the earth has enough petroleum left to last us for many years, even at our extravagant rate of consuming it. Oilmen say that the supplies from rich reservoirs near the surface are dwindling fast. The supplies included by geologists are at deep levels and in rocks that contain only small traces. The cost of drilling and extracting this petroleum is very much higher.
Conservationists are concerned about the many pollutants that result from our present methods of using petroleum as an energy fuel. However, anti pollutant devices use up still more fuel. True, the picture is confusing. But obviously the time has come to conserve our dwindling supplies while we plan to develop other sources of fuel energy.
A few decades ago, many people pinned their hopes on atomic energy. Now critics point out that, in proportion to the power they yield, nuclear power plants are very costly to construct. Also, they produce dangerous atomic wastes. What's more, nobody can guarantee that nuclear plants are perfectly safe which should disqualify them absolutely.
Another alternative is geothermal power, which uses heat from the earth's crust to turn electric generators. Several safe, non polluting geothermal plants are in operation, and geologists estimate that the sup¬ply of this energy is almost unlimited. However, the locations are limited to a few regions where fairly recent volcanic heat is trapped near the surface of the earth's crust.
In Europe, a huge structure gathers and concentrates the sun's radiant energy to generate electric power. This is the same solar energy used to power our spacecraft. It creates no pollution, and the supply is unlimit¬ed.
At present, we are faced with the enormous problem of harnessing solar energy. Most of our present devices are small solar cells, developed by space scientists. Certainly it will take time and a great deal of money to develop solar energy and possibly other suitable energy sources. And while we wait, each and every one of us should be very stingy with the gasoline.
True, the survival of our present lavish society seems to depend on petroleum fuel. But it helps to know that all this developed in less than a century. Without a doubt, the folks of 2073will have abundant sources of cheap, non polluting energy. Perhaps solar energy is the best. But it's up to our generation to explore all possibilities and to bear the burden of developing them.