Oil executive stresses diversification of alternative energy
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 01/10/2007
Paul Miller | Exponent Photographer
Thomas Ervesun, a junior in the College of Engineering, presents a question to John Hoffmeister, president of Shell Oil Company, during a small group discussion over breakfast in Rawls Hall on Tuesday morning.
sponsored by
The American lifestyle relies on conventional energy and it will take time to find effective alternatives before fossil fuels dissolve in the next 100 years, said the president of Shell Oil Company Tuesday morning.
On stop 18 of his 50 city tour to discuss energy supply and alternative fuel issues, John Hofmeister had breakfast with 15 students inside Rawls Hall to better understand young people's perceptions about the energy industry. The students ranged from various years and majors and were selected to participate based on student organization affiliation and job aspirations.
Hofmeister and several other Shell representatives talked about energy's omnipresence today, from driving cars to producing food, and how Americans take it for granted.
"But if they don't have it, boy, does that shake them up quickly," Hofmeister said.
The United States needs 18 million barrels of oil a day - more than 20 percent of the 85 million barrels the world consumes daily - to continue the lifestyle of its citizens, Hofmeister said. And it took nearly 100 years to build that energy infrastructure from horse-drawn carriages.
"When people talk about alternatives, you don't just turn over and they're all there," he said. "It's a gradual, incremental process, and the good news is we're working on it."
Hofmeister estimated that the remainder of fossil fuels should last until the next century, providing enough time to develop alternatives before the total depletion of coal, oil and natural gas.
Although the United States has already made some advancements, Hofmeister said the nation still needs time to develop anything similar to the economy established by fossil fuels.
Some car companies have introduced vehicles that run on a mixture of ethanol and gasoline known as E-85, but fewer than 5 percent of engines in the United States use the new fuel. Others have developed a new battery that enables vehicles to travel up to 150 miles per gallon, yet their consistency of lithium oxide is related to those in cell phones and laptops that have overheated in the past.
Hofmeister said Shell is investing in a variety of energy sources, including wind, solar, biofuels or hydrogen cells, rather than just one while there's still enough conventional energy.
"A lot of eggs. And that's really the answer," he said. "Because there's no single egg big enough to make the ultimate difference."
Hofmeister said afterward that he was encouraged by the outlook of the future of energy after speaking with the students. "They clearly have thought about the fact that we need alternatives, that we still have a lot of traditional fuel that will be produced," he said.
Students in attendance said they were encouraged as well.
Thomas Ervesun, a junior in the School of Industrial Engineering, said he thought it was a "great experience" because he comes from Venezuela where the oil economy is prominent.
"It is really good for the general culture just to know what's going on. What are the ideas out there?" he said.
Jenny Young, a senior in the School of Chemical Engineering, will graduate in May and take a job with Shell in New Orleans.
Young said she enjoyed listening to Hofmeister's thoughts on alternative energy, especially as people have doubts about ethanol and other biofuels.
"So it's really good he's going around and talking to people and getting the media involved," she said.