A Cubic Mile of Oil : Realities and Options for Averting the Looming Global Energy Crisis

One cubic mile of oil (CMO) corresponds very closely to the world's current total annual consumption of crude oil. The world's total annual energy consumption - from all energy sources- is currently 3.0 CMO. By the middle of this century the world will need between 6 and 9 CMO of energy per year to provide for its citizens. Adequate energy is needed remove the scourge of poverty and provide food, clothing, and shelter for the people around the world, and more will be needed for measures to mitigate the potential effects of climate change such as building dikes and desalinating water. A Cubic Mile of Oil describes the various energy sources and how we use them, projects their future contributions, and delineates what it would take to develop them to annually produce a CMO from each of them. The requirement for additional energy in the future is so daunting that we will need to use all resources. We also examine how improved efficiency and conservation measures can reduce future demand substantially, and help distinguish approaches that make a significant impact as opposed to merely making us feel good. Use of CMO eliminates a multitude of units like tons of coal, gallons of oil, and cubic feet of gas; obviates the need for mind-numbing multipliers such as billions, trillions, and quadrillions; and replaces them with an easy-to-understand volumetric unit. It evokes a visceral response and allows experts, policy makers and the general public alike to form a mental picture of the magnitude of the challenge we face. In the absence of an appreciation of the scale of the problem, we risk squandering efforts and resources in pursuing options that will not meet tomorrow's global energy needs. We must make critical choices, and a common understandable language is essential for a sustained meaningful dialog.

"This book makes clear what energy policy and energy investment options are going to work in the real world. A Cubic Mile of Oil explains how global energy challenges will be solved---and they can be solved."Ed Ring, Cleantech Editor, Always On" "This well-written, scholarly book should be read by anyone who seeks a deep understanding of the world's single biggest business: the energy sector." Robert Bryce, author of Power Hungry: The Myths of "Green" Energy and the Real Fuels of the Future" "A Cubic Mile of Oil puts the magnitude of our energy problems---and their solutions---in a vivid and dramatic perspective. I strongly recommend it." Richard A. Muller, author of Physics for Future Presidents" "Currently, The World Consumes approximately one cubic mile of oil (CMO) each year. In the coming decades, the world's annual energy consumption---from all energy sources---will grow from three CMO to between six and nine CMO. If this increasing demand for energy, startling in its rate of growth, is not met, the world will be unable to adequately combat the scourge of poverty, provide food, clothing, and shelter for its residents, or mitigate future effects of climate change." "A Cubic Mile of Oil describes the ways in which the world's various energy sources are currently used and assesses if and how these sources can meet future demand. The book applies the accessible volumetric unit of a "cubic mile of oil" to all energy sources, eliminating a multitude of units such as tons of coal, gallons of oil, and cubic feet of gas, and obviating the need for mind-numbing multipliers such as billions, trillions, and quadrillions. The concept of a CMO is used to create an awareness of the magnitude of the looming demand for additional energy, so daunting that we need to effectively utilize all of our resources to surmount it. The authors discuss how each resource on its own could be developed to annually produce the equivalent of one cubic mile of oil, and more broadly, propose ways in which we can drastically improve both our conservation measures and the efficiency of our consumption to meet future demand." Intended not only for scientists, policy makers, academics, and students, A Cubic Mile of Oil is also for anyone interested in global energy issues and the critical decisions that currently lay in front of us. Through this book and its concept of a CMO, all will be better equipped to take part in the sustained meaningful dialogue pivotal to meeting tomorrow's global energy needs.

Contents 14 The Authors 16 List of Exhibits 20 Some Common Energy Conversion Factors 22 Symbols and Abbreviations 24 Chapter 1 Introduction 30 PART I: ENERGY USE 44 Chapter 2 Historical Energy Development and Future Dilemmas 46 Chapter 3 Energy Today 58 Chapter 4 Energy Needs to 2050 98 PART II: ENERGY RESOURCES 110 Chapter 5 Our Energy Inheritance: Fossil Fuels 112 Chapter 6 Our Energy Inheritance: Nuclear Power 153 Chapter 7 Our Energy Income: Geothermal, Hydropower, Wind, Solar, and Biomass 204 PART III: THE PATH FORWARD 258 Chapter 8 Energy Efficiency and Conservation 260 Chapter 9 The Path Forward 290 Index 312 A 312 B 312 C 313 D 314 E 314 F 316 G 317 H 317 I 317 J 318 K 318 L 318 M 318 N 319 O 319 P 320 Q 321 R 321 S 322 T 322 U 323 V 323 W 323 Y 324 Z 324 0195325540,9780195325546 Currently, the world consumes approximately one cubic mile of oil (CMO) each year. In the coming decades, the world's energy consumption--from all sources--will grow from three CMO to between six and nine CMO. This book describes the ways in which the world's various energy sources are currently used and assesses if and how these sources can meet future demand. The authors discuss how each resource on its own could be developed to annually produce the equivalent of one cubic mile of oil, and propose ways in which we can improve both our conservation measures and the efficiency of our consumption to meet future demand.--[book jacket]