GIVEN THE VAST AMOUNT OF ENERGY WE CONSUME I SEE NO ALTERNATIVE EXCEPT GEOTHERMAL
While everyone is preoccupied with the global warming hype few realize the real catastrophe heading our way.
Comparing annual world oil consumption to alternative energy sources, this is what I have found.
It is projected that the world will consume about 36 billion barrels of oil a year by 2010.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ieo/oil.htmlThe barrel of oil equivalent (bboe, sometimes BOE) is a unit of energy based on the approximate energy released by burning one barrel of crude oil. The US IRS defines it as equal to 5.8 × 106 BTU. 5.8 × 106 BTU equals 6.1178632 × 109 J or about 1.70 MWh.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrel_of_oil_equivalent36 billion barrels of oil = 61,200,000,000 MW of power
By 2010, the World Wind Energy Association expects 160GW or 160,000 MW of capacity to be installed worldwide, up from 73.9GW at the end of 2006, implying an anticipated net growth rate of more than 21% per year
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power#Wind_energyThe annual production of 160,000 MW of wind energy would have to increase 382,500 times the current production to equal the energy we are now consuming in oil.
The unpopulated area of the Sahara desert is over 9 million km², which if covered with solar panels would provide 630 terawatts total power. The Earth's current energy consumption rate is around 13.5 TW at any given moment (including oil, gas, coal, nuclear, and hydroelectric).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_energy#PhotovoltaicsIf the entire Sahara desert, over 9 million km², was covered in Photovoltaic panels it would produce 630,000,000 MW of power.
61,200,000,000/630,000,000 = 97.14 Sahara deserts
As of January 1, 2007, proved world oil reserves, as reported by Oil & Gas Journal,7 were estimated at 1,317 billion barrels
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ieo/oil.htmlIf we consume 36 billion barrels of oil a year and the total oil reserve is 1,317 billion barrels then at the current consumption rate the well will run dry in 36.58 years.