Question
9
Marcos begins research for a paper about oil, or petroleum, a nonrenewable energy resource. He finds this table that shows estimated data for the world's supply and consumption of oil.
Earth's Oil Supply (2024)
Proven oil reserves 1,600 billion barrels
Worldwide consumption of oil 35 billion barrels per year
Years that current worldwide oil consumption can continue ~46 years
A.
Oil use could be sustainable if the world reduces its consumption by 15 percent.
B.
Oil use could be sustainable if proven oil reserves increase by 15 percent.
C.
Oil use is sustainable because of the high volume of proven oil reserves.
D.
Oil use is not sustainable because its consumption cannot continue over time.
Marcos begins research for a paper about oil, or petroleum, a nonrenewable energy resource. He finds this table that shows estimated data for the world's supply and consumption of oil.
Earth's Oil Supply (2024)
Proven oil reserves 1,600 billion barrels
Worldwide consumption of oil 35 billion barrels per year
Years that current worldwide oil consumption can continue ~46 years
A.
Oil use could be sustainable if the world reduces its consumption by 15 percent.
B.
Oil use could be sustainable if proven oil reserves increase by 15 percent.
C.
Oil use is sustainable because of the high volume of proven oil reserves.
D.
Oil use is not sustainable because its consumption cannot continue over time.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
To evaluate the statements regarding the sustainability of oil use based on the given data, let's analyze each option:
A. **Oil use could be sustainable if the world reduces its consumption by 15 percent.**
- If oil consumption is reduced by 15%, it would effectively extend the lifespan of the current proven reserves beyond the estimated 46 years. This statement could be seen as valid.
B. **Oil use could be sustainable if proven oil reserves increase by 15 percent.**
- While an increase in proven reserves would extend the lifespan of oil availability, the fundamental issue of nonrenewability remains. This statement could be misleading because even with increased reserves, the resource is still finite.
C. **Oil use is sustainable because of the high volume of proven oil reserves.**
- This assertion is incorrect as it overlooks the nonrenewable nature of oil. High reserves do not equate to sustainability since once depleted, they cannot be replenished.
D. **Oil use is not sustainable because its consumption cannot continue over time.**
- This statement is true as oil is a nonrenewable resource, and currently estimated consumption will exceed the reserves within a finite timeframe.
Based on this analysis, the statement that best reflects the sustainability of oil use, given the provided data, is:
**D. Oil use is not sustainable because its consumption cannot continue over time.**
A. **Oil use could be sustainable if the world reduces its consumption by 15 percent.**
- If oil consumption is reduced by 15%, it would effectively extend the lifespan of the current proven reserves beyond the estimated 46 years. This statement could be seen as valid.
B. **Oil use could be sustainable if proven oil reserves increase by 15 percent.**
- While an increase in proven reserves would extend the lifespan of oil availability, the fundamental issue of nonrenewability remains. This statement could be misleading because even with increased reserves, the resource is still finite.
C. **Oil use is sustainable because of the high volume of proven oil reserves.**
- This assertion is incorrect as it overlooks the nonrenewable nature of oil. High reserves do not equate to sustainability since once depleted, they cannot be replenished.
D. **Oil use is not sustainable because its consumption cannot continue over time.**
- This statement is true as oil is a nonrenewable resource, and currently estimated consumption will exceed the reserves within a finite timeframe.
Based on this analysis, the statement that best reflects the sustainability of oil use, given the provided data, is:
**D. Oil use is not sustainable because its consumption cannot continue over time.**