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The mitigation of peak oil is the attempt to delay the date and minimize the social and economic impact of peak oil by reducing the world's consumption and reliance on petroleum. By reducing petroleum consumption, mitigation efforts seek to favorably change the shape of the Hubbert curve, which is the graph of real oil production over time predicted by Hubbert peak theory. The peak of this curve is known as peak oil, and by changing the shape of the curve, the timing of the peak in oil production is affected. An analysis by the author of the Hirsch report showed that while the shape of the oil production curve can be affected by mitigation efforts, mitigation efforts are also affected by the shape of Hubbert curve.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=The Shape of World Oil Peaking: Learning From Experience )〕 For the most part, mitigation involves fuel conservation, and the use of alternative and renewable energy sources. The development of unconventional oil resources can extend the use of petroleum,〔 〕 but does not reduce consumption. Historically, world oil consumption data show that mitigation efforts during the 1973 and 1979 oil shocks lowered oil consumption, while general recessions since the 70s have had no effect on curbing the oil consumption until 2007. Key questions for mitigation are the viability of methods, the roles of government and private sector and how early these solutions are implemented.〔 〕〔 (【引用サイトリンク】title=Proposition 87 )〕 The responses to such questions and steps taken towards mitigation may determine whether or not the lifestyle of a society can be maintained, and may affect the population capacity of the planet. ==Alternative energy== The most effective method of mitigating peak oil is to use renewable or alternative energy sources in place of petroleum. Nuclear power, considered by some to be a viable alternative source, can be substituted for petroleum in some cases. China is preparing for the post-peak oil future by building pebble bed reactors configured to produce hydrogen fuel from the electrolysis of water. The use of nuclear power is often a highly contentious issue because of questions of the future availability of fuel and the dangerous nature of nuclear waste. Some current research projects are focused on neutron-free fusion power, in which hydrogen and boron are heated to over 1 billion degrees,〔 (【引用サイトリンク】title=Stop the Suppression of an Alternative Energy Source )〕 though technical and economic barriers still exist. In its October 2009 peak oil report, the Government-supported UK Energy Research Centre warned of the risk that 'rising oil prices will encourage the rapid development of carbon-intensive alternatives which will make it difficult or impossible to prevent dangerous climate change〔(UKERC Report Finds ‘Significant Risk’ of Oil Production Peaking in Ten Years ), October 08, 2009, UK Energy Research Centre〕 and stated that 'early investment in low-carbon alternatives to conventional oil is of considerable importance' in avoiding this scenario.〔(Global Oil Depletion: An assessment of the evidence for a near-term peak in global oil production ), page xi, Agugust 2009, published October 08, 2009, UK Energy Research Centre, ISBN 1-903144-03-5〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mitigation of peak oil」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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