Where was I during Earth Hour?

I was sad I was not at home for Earth Hour yesterday.  DH is actually a petroleum geologist so I was previously committed to attending a dinner with him scheduled for last night.  Larry Nichols, the CEO of Devon Energy, was the keynote speaker.  Here are some highlights from his talk (from memory...I didn’t take actual notes).

In the US, 25 barrels of oil per year is the average consumption per person.  In China, it is 2 barrels per person per year. Of course in areas such as China and India, consumption of oil is expected to increase.  China recently exceeded Japan in the number of cars bought.  It is expected to exceed the number of cars bought in the US in just a few years.

Ethanol fuel is not a viable alternative for a sustainable fuel source.  Corn uses 40% more fertilizer than other crops.  It is not a clean-burning fuel.  Even if all the corn in the US was made into Ethanol fuel, it would only compensate for 15% of the US demand for oil.  Despite the drawbacks, the US government is giving the industry an 8 billion dollar subsidy.

Personally, I don’t think ethanol is a good alternative to fossil fuels.  It is not as efficient as gasoline and studies have shown only a modest decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. 

Currently, proposed taxes on oil and gas companies would result in decreased production and in a very short while, increased (up to 30%) in the costs of consumer goods.  The oil and gas companies will survive.  It is the consumer that will suffer.

The basic take home message was that more production is needed.  He said that if companies were allowed to drill in all areas around both coasts and the Gulf of Mexico, there would be 160,000 new jobs generated and we would be able to meet a large proportion of the US demand for oil.  The US government would also generate 1 Trillion dollars in revenue from the increased drilling and production.

Mr. Nichols did mention alternative sources of energy such as solar and wind and pursuing technology in all areas of energy production.  DH asked me what I thought of his talk.  I thought it was typical of what someone from oil and gas would say. 

I am not wild about talk of increasing energy consumption and increasing drilling.  I also do not believe that technology will always be there to help keep up with consumer demand for energy.  I think that people need to learn to live more sustainably.  People need to recognize that oil and gas are non-renewable resources.  What is in store for our grandchildren and their children? 

I was not home to observe Earth Hour as I would have liked.  I liked the idea of Earth Hour because I believe that energy conservation is a good thing whether or not you agree with the criticisms about global warming and climate change effects.  When you’re not in a room, turn off the lights!