UK to 'run out of fossil fuels' in five years

[4me2]

UK to 'run out of fossil fuels' in five years

The UK is set to run out of its oil, coal, and gas supplies in a little over five years, a new report had claimed.

The research from the Global Sustainability Institute has said that other European countries are facing similar shortages and that many nations will become entirely dependent on energy imports in the next few years.
The UK has 5.2 years of oil remaining, 4.5 years of coal and three years of gas before completely running out of fossil fuels, says the institute, which is based at Anglia Ruskin University.
France is reportedly even worse off, with less than a year’s worth of fossil fuels in reserve, while Italy has less than a year of gas and coal and a single year of oil.
"The EU is becoming ever more reliant on our resource-rich neighbours such as Russia and Norway, and this trend will only continue unless decisive action is taken,” said Dr Aled Jones, the director of the institute.
"It is vital that those shaping Europe's future political agenda understand our existing economic fragility.”
Despite the shortages faced by UK, France and Italy, other EU countries have more reliable supplies. Germany has more than 250 years of coal left (but only a year’s supply of oil and gas) while Bulgaria has 73 years of coal and Poland has 24 years.
Russia is one of the best appointed countries in Europe with its massive land mass offering up more than 500 years of coal, 100 years of gas and 50 years of oil.
Professor Victor Anderson, also from the institute, has urged a “Europe-wide drive to expand renewable energy sources such as wave, wind, tidal, and solar power.”
"Coal, oil and gas resources in Europe are running down and we need alternatives,” said Professor Anderson.
The Government has recently announced cuts in its subsidies for large-scale solar farms from next April, two years before they were projected to end, and the Conservatives have said they will not subsidise new onshore wind farms if they win the 2015 general election.
Ministers are instead hoping that a combination of shale gas - extracted by fracking - and new oil finds in the North Sea will be able to plug the coming deficit.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...s-9385415.html

[burner1]

Russia is one of the best appointed countries in Europe with its massive land mass offering up more than 500 years of coal, 100 years of gas and 50 years of oil.

Maybe it's points like this that Putin feels he can stick a finger up to the west and do what he likes with countries such as the Ukraine.. in the not so distant future, He could be the one holding the better 'sanction' card?

[Rick Sanchez]

^ most likely. Hence the need to invest major in renewable solar, wind, tidal, geothermal and 4th generation nuclear plants. We currently get most of our power from Europe as like everything else in this country energy is massively under invested in.

It's a disgrace.

[blacksheep]

France gets a lot more of its electricity from nuclear than we do so aren't as much in the shit. Will be years before we even break ground on our next one.

[DejaVu]

Puts the need for Fracking higher up the agenda.
A media storm to get the public on-side perhaps?

[{{909}}]

Puts the need for Fracking higher up the agenda.
A media storm to get the public on-side perhaps?

seems very likely, surely if it was this much of a crisis they wouldn't just have sat on their ass and waited until there's 5 years of resources left. Its not like their uni students who realise they have to hand in an assignment the following day.

[plug1]

Maybe it's points like this that Putin feels he can stick a finger up to the west and do what he likes with countries such as the Ukraine.. in the not so distant future, He could be the one holding the better 'sanction' card?

Putin studied Law at Leningrad State university, writing a PhD thesis on the importance of energy policy for future Russian economic success.

[Basset]

The other half runs a oil & gar recruitment agency and is responsible for staffing projects all over the world and yes a huge amount of energy will end up being supplied from Russia / eastern europe.

As for the original article, 30 years ago they were saying we had 10-15 years supply left and even with increased demand there's still some left. The reserves are bigger than estimated and technology means they can get more out.

Yes part of this story is "look we really need fracking" and there is a risk that the lack of investment in alternatives will bite the UK on it's arse.

[cyprus]

Puts the need for Fracking higher up the agenda.
A media storm to get the public on-side perhaps?

Either that or it's time for "regime" change in an oil rich nation...

[DavidF]

They say about russia's coal reserves and yet we in the UK are sitting on hundreds of years worth of the stuff. "Government Policy" springs to mind. Shame on every one of them since 1979 onwards.

[pickie]

sounds strange to hear its gonna run out cos its always been there, but just think in another 100 years coal gas and oil will be gone

[4me2]

Either that or it's time for "regime" change in an oil rich nation...

Nigeria.

[burner1]

Nigeria.

I said somewhere else a few years ago once we've finished doing the business in Iraq and Afghanistan, certain countries in Africa will be next on the list for various resources under the guise of the good old 'Democracy and Freedom' card.

The sort of 'News' we're getting of late from the region isn't anything that new imo, it's just that it's time to fit it into the Western Agenda which is why it's now on TV.

[Geko]

DavidF beat me to it... But..... We have 100s of tons of coal sitting in the ground.

[{{909}}]

DavidF beat me to it... But..... We have 100s of tons of coal sitting in the ground.

They need to employ some Chinese mining companies to come over to the UK and dig it up, cos no fucker in the UK is going to go down a pit these days unless its for a very high wage.

[Mr.James]

This stinks of government propaganda to me. Where would that leave the Scots if they left the UK and ran out of North Sea Oil 5 years from now?

[BigBird]

This stinks of government propaganda to me. Where would that leave the Scots if they left the UK and ran out of North Sea Oil 5 years from now?

You may be right, but it would be foolish if anyone in Scotland based their decision to leave the UK mainly on the fact that they have North sea oil... unless they are under the impression that they can just rejoin when it runs out whether that be in five years or fifty. (">

[consoles]

The government needs to act now on renewable energy, whether is be Nuclear or wind/sea etc in 10 years if we are dependent on some far off country for our energy source we are going to be fucked over a barrel.
I cant believe when they have known for years that the fossil fuels tipped and its limited whats left.

Nuclear energy is going to be the main source in the future until something else shows up so they need to act now before its too late.

[Mr.James]

You may be right, but it would be foolish if anyone in Scotland based their decision to leave the UK mainly on the fact that they have North sea oil... unless they are under the impression that they can just rejoin when it runs out whether that be in five years or fifty. (">

A lot of the reports claim that North Sea oil is essential to a successful independent Scotland though. It could sway a lot of people who are unsure...


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[Geko]

North Sea Oil is close to running out, though... Well... Until they come up with some new drilling techniques.

Like said above, we have left it too late already to embrace Nuclear. Although I am not a fan, as it takes longer to break down than we the human race have been around. That makes very little difference if everyone is going nuclear anyway.