By the time I turn 81, humanity will have run out of oil. Just two years later, when I am 83, we’ll run out of coal.
And if I live to the age of 141 – which isn’t such a far-fetched idea with the way life expectancy is rising – we’ll be out of natural gas.
People talk about the global energy crisis in a detached way.
When we hear that there are only 1.3 trillion barrels of oil left in the world, it’s hard to imagine being personally affected by a shortage of traditional fuels.
But, a new interactive tool from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) gives users a large dose of reality. The “Your Life on Earth” tool brings the real consequences of our energy consumption into crystal-clear focus.
Data Behind the Big Picture
The BBC has compiled mountains of data from everywhere – from UNdata and the U.S. Energy Information Administration to Discover Wildlife and timeanddate.com – to show users how the world has changed in their lifetime.
Along with fun facts, like which cities are younger than you and what creatures were discovered after you were born, the site provides some shocking stats about the effects human industry has had on the world.
For instance, carbon dioxide emissions have increased by 15 gigatons, the ozone hole above the Antarctic has increased by 10 million square kilometers, and the average sea level has risen by 3 inches in my lifetime.
And with a global population increase of over two billion people and a 78% increase in coal supply, it appears these disturbing energy trends will only continue if the world doesn’t decrease its use of fossil fuels.
Due to our insatiable thirst for cheap energy, supply issues, which were once considered a “next generation” problem, are now a threat to the current generation.
The only question now is: Will you see the end of oil? Find out by going here.
Good investing,
Samantha Solomon
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