Thirst for Oil

Worldwide everyday,we devour the energy equivalent of about 200 million barrels of oil.

Most of the energyon Earth comes from the Sun.In fact enough energy from the Sun hits theplanet's surface each minute to cover our needs for an entire year,we just needto

find an efficientway to use it. So far the energy in oil has been cheaper and easier to get at.But as supplies dwindle,this will change,and we will need to cure our addictionto

oil.

Burning woodsatisfied most energy needs until the steam-driven industrial revolution,whenenergy-dense coal became the fuel of choice.Coal is still used,mostly in power

stations,to coverone quarter of our energy needs,but its use has been declining since we startedpumping up oil.

Coal is the leastefficient,unhealthiest and most environmentally damaging fossil fuel,but couldmake a comeback,as supplies are still plentiful.its reserves are five times

larger than oil's.

Today petroleum,amineral oil obtained from below the surface of the Earth and used to pro- ducepetrol,diesel oil and various other chemical substances,provides around

40% of the world'senergy needs,mostly fuelling automobiles.The US consumes a quarter of alloil,and generates a similar proportion of greenhouse gas emissions.

The majority of oilcomes from the Middle East,which has half of known reserves.But othersignificant sources include Russia,NorthAmerica,Norway,Venezuelaand the

North Sea.

Alaska's ArcticNational Wildlife Refuge could be a major new US source,to reduce reliance onforeign imports.

Most experts predictwe will exhaust easily accessible reserves within 50 years,though opinions andestimates vary.We could fast reach an energy crisis in the next few

decades,when demandexceeds supply.As conventional reserves become more difficult to access,otherssuch as oil shales and tar sands may be used instead.Petrol could also

be obtained fromcoal.

Since we startedusing fossil fuels,we have released 400 billion tonnes of carbon,and burn- ingthe entire reserves could eventually raise world temperatures by 13℃．

Among other horrors,this would result in the destruction of all rainforests and the melting of allArctic ice.Which country isthe biggest consumer of petroleum?

A.The United States.

B. Russia.

C. Norway.

D. Venezuela.