The impact of the motor car on oil reserves
Road vehicles, and particularly the car, consume substantial shares of the world's oil resources, though they do not account for a very significant proportion of total energy consumption. In 1970 the world car fleet took 12% of global oil consumption or 6% of gross energy consumption. Other road vehicles took nearly the same again: 9% of world oil and 4.5% of total energy. The USA car fleet, with 45% of the vehicles, accounted for 65% of the oil consumption of the world car fleet. Forecasts indicate a large world car population growth. The question is studied of how governments and communities will act in this situation. If they continue to permit the private motorist unfettered freedom to own cars with extravagant fuel consumption, the growing demands of motoring are certain to accelerate the exploitation of the world's dwindling oil reserves and raise prices. It will merely postpone the problem of depleting oil supplies. Alternatives are discussed and include encouragement of public transport systems, smaller cars, development of batteries and conversion of organic wastes, and rails and waterways for freight transport. (MCW)
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Sussex, Brighton, Eng.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- NSA Number:
- NSA-29-012399
- OSTI ID:
- 4372112
- Journal Information:
- Energy Policy, Journal Name: Energy Policy Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 1; ISSN 0301-4215
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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