What will happen to fossil fuel production in the future?

 Over the next century, the sources from which we get our energy are going to change. This is going to be strongly influenced by government’s responses towards ensuring energy security, environmental sustainability and economic competitiveness. The effects of peak oil (see earlier blog post) are likely to become evident as increasing money must be spent on maintaining production (including the refit of ageing infrastructure) and improving energy efficiency. The International Energy Agency (IEA) suggests that more than $1,600 billion was invested in 2013 to provide the world’s consumers with energy, a figure more than twice that of 2000, with a further $130 billion being spent to improve energy efficiency. Much of this investment will take place in emerging economies however, it will likely be led by the US as they try to meet national demand and maintain a secure supply.

 As the century progresses, greater Middle Eastern reserves of both oil and increasingly, natural gas, will receive large foreign investment as production on other continents starts to decline. This could lead to increased tension as investors try to secure their supply. Increasing production is going to be a persistent challenge for the rest of the world as the oil prices are still too low, and margins too narrow, to encourage funding by new investors. Companies need to collectively agree to raise oil prices slightly to encourage greater investment, even if this means increased competition.

 As for running out of fossil fuels, it is harder to tell; new reserves will continue to be found, but increasingly these will fall short of meeting demand. Most estimates agree that at current rates of consumption we have 50 years more oil, 70 years more natural gas and 250 years more coal. I believe the Shale industry is likely to increase the lifespan of natural gas in the short term and production may even have to slow so as not to flood the market, but in the end, we are going to have to turn to alternative energies.

 In my opinion, the leading source of alternative energy in the future is likely to be found in biofuels. Unlike many other ‘wacky’ forms of renewable energy (such as hydrogen or electricity to power cars) current technologies do not need to undergo any significant changes in order to use biofuels. In many parts of the world, they are already in use, such as Brazil where almost every vehicle runs on an ethanol/ petrol mix. These are inexpensive sources of renewable energy and with greater investment could solve the energy crisis. I hope that greater discovery in this area may lead us to find an energy rich plant that can be grown cheaply in almost any conditions and used to make ethanol; this would help strengthen weaker economies and provide a secure source of energy.

 Finding solutions to the issue of global warming will not fall to a single entity, but will instead rely on a common responsibility to slow and then reverse its impacts. Although biofuels are not a clean form of energy, they are less polluting than fossil fuels, and will provide a necessary bridging energy while we find cleaner energies. In my opinion, it is technology and legislation that will work together to find solutions to climate change. While scientists invent ever more imaginative ways to reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, it falls to governments to cooperate to reduce their nation’s pollution. Only this way can we hope to slow global warming.

Geomorphological Landforms of Arid Environments

Source: Science Clarified

Plateaus

Plateau – an area of land having a relatively level surface considerably raised above adjoining land on at least one side, and often cut by deep canyons.

Plateaus can be formed from tectonic movement or the erosion by water and glaciers. Magma from the mantle can rise up and cause the ground to swell upward, causing large flat areas of rock to be uplifted, forming plateaus. Lava may also spread outward from cracks and weak areas in the crust, building up flat areas of land. These raised areas of land undergo significant erosion from mechanical and weathering processes forming the features explained below.

Erosion of the plateau is most effective when a band of more resistant rock (e.g. de Chelly Sandstone and Shinarump Conglomerate) overlies a band of less resistant rock (e.g. Organ Shale). Erosion of the less resistant rock leads to undercutting and cliff collapse causing parallel retreat of the plateau.

An example of a plateau is the Colorado plateau in the USA.

Mesas, Buttes and Spires

Mesas, buttes and spires are examples of relict hills that been formed by weathering and water erosion. Sheet runoff exploits joints and weaknesses in a plateau, eroding wadis and canyons and isolating large columns of rock as the cliff retreats. These are called mesas and are defined as being wider than they are tall. These can be vast, but still experience the same erosional processes as their larger counterparts.

A butte is formed when a mesa is eroded such that it is taller than it is wide. Erosion of the butte continues until a thin pillar-like formation known as a spire is left. Eventually the spire will also be eroded away to form a pediment. An example of a spire is the Totem Pole in Arizona’s Monument Valley which rises 130 m into the air.

Pediments

Pediments are gently sloping erosional rock surfaces (rather like wave cut platforms), with an angle of >7°, found at the base of cliffs and steep hills in the desert. They are formed by the parallel retreat of plateaus, mesas and buttes and are usually covered with debris from rock falls or alluvial fans. Weathering and sheet runoff help to develop the pediments as eroded material carried by water scours the rock surface.

Geography Photo Competition

 At the beginning of each school year, the Perse School Geography Department holds the annual Geography Photo Competition. Students submit as many as three geography related photos they have captured in the previous year. The winners are then selected by public vote at the schools open day.

Extreme Tourism: Such a Good Thing?

 Embedded in this post are my entries to this year’s competition.

 The first is controversial picture intended to make people think about the impacts of tourism on the destination location and in this image specifically, the impacts of extreme tourism. It depicts a via ferrata in the Italian Dolomites with people queuing on the way up to make the most of the good weather. I was not surprised to see so many people as routes in the summer season are very popular; however, the environmental impacts of such activities quickly became apparent. In order to reduce such impacts, the areas used for these activities must be kept to a minimum and a percentage of income from tourism should be spent on preventing footpath erosion.

Kings Cross

 My second entry was taken last November at Kings Cross station just after the refurbishments there were completed. Each year, the station erects a poppy on the central structure of the building (seen in the centre of the image) to commemorate those who have fought and lost their lives in combat.

Dolomites

My final entry is a rather boring holiday shot (I didn’t have anything else good to enter) again taken while on holiday in the Dolomites. We walked up to a little church and found this little cross behind it. It was nothing special but the ridge behind looked pretty spectacular.

 If you want to vote for the winners, or just see the talented array of photos taken by students this year, please go to the second floor of the new building on Saturday 27^th September  during the Perse School Open Day.