Drastic Reductions in Utilizable Fossil Fuel Reserves: An Environmental Imperative

We are living in a period of exponential growth of world population and energy consumption. Forecasts suggest that the atmospheric CO₂ concentration could reach 750 p.p.m. by 2100. At this level, the coral reefs and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet would be lost and thermohaline circulation in the N. Atlantic could possibly shut down. Crippling the ocean conveyor system would have a major impact on world climate and jeopardize our chances of feeding an enlarged world population. Consumption of the total global hydrocarbon reserves would increase the atmospheric CO₂ concentration to about 2200 p.p.m. We can therefore utilize less than 20% of the global hydrocarbon reserves without an accompanying massive programme for the sequestration of CO₂ if we do not wish to cross the threshold atmospheric CO₂ concentration of 750 p.p.m. and risk a major environmental catastrophe. Attention to the global CO₂ problem will be the major task of the 21st Century.