Basic Earth Science and Society - Basic Research Opportunities in Earth Science - page 5

planet and the environment for most human activity. The other major locus of life
is the sea, but even there, the flux of nutrients from the Critical Zone is essential.
Processes within the Critical Zone mediate the exchange of mass and energy; they
are thus essential to biomass productivity, nutrient balance, chemical recycling,
and water storage, and they ultimately determine the content of the geological
record.
Natural Resources
The world's population reached 6 billion in 1999 and is increasing by more
than 200,000 people per day. This populace requires food, fuels, raw materials,
and water in ever-increasing quantities. Developing new technologies to deliver
these resources depends on progress in many areas of Earth science.
Energy
Global energy consumption rose from 344 quadrillion British thermal units
(BTUs) in 1990 to 376 quadrillion BTUs in 1995. The Department of Energy
projects that this total will grow by an average of 2.1% per year until 2020. The
reliance on fossil fuels is not likely to change appreciably during the next decade 2
Oil consumption is expected to grow at an annualized rate of 1.8%, while
natural gas usage will rise at 3.3%, faster than any other primary energy source.
Worldwide, the burning of coal is likely to increase nearly as rapidly (3.0%),
driven by energy demands in China, India, and other Asian countries. 3
Historically, most of the research and development (R&D) related to the
extraction of fossil fuels has been supported by the petroleum and mining
industries, rather than by federal agencies. A worldwide oil glut that began in
1983 triggered a restructuring of the petroleum industry, reducing the industry's
investments in basic research and its demand for Earth science professionals.
Between 1991 and 1995, the petroleum refining and extraction industry reported
cutbacks of 29% in R&D expenditures. The recent spate of
2 The largest single energy source is oil (39%), which has increased in production from
57 million barrels in 1983 to 73 million in 1998. At present, fossil fuels account for about
nine-tenths of the world's primary energy budget; only 2% is hydroelectric and 9% is
nuclear.
3 BP/Amoco Statistical Review of World Energy, June 1999; DOE Report EIA-0484,
1999.