[X] My Assistant

[Webscientist]

The latest news about Titan reveal that, according to a study led by Ralph Lorenz, the orange moon has hundreds of times more liquid hydrocarbons than all the known oil and natural gas reserves on Earth.
This estimate is close to the estimate made by independant authors, presented at the following webpage: http://www.planetaryphysics.com/Researchwo...lakes281007.htm
The authors conclude that the liquid hydrocarbon reserves in Titan's arctic lakes might well be at least 650 times greater than the proven oil reserves on Earth. The key factor for obtaining the estimate appears to be the mean depth, postulated to be 250 meters, here.
Unfortunately, it won't change anything on oil prices! ( unless speculators...)

[EckJerome]

If you'll forgive an old lurker interjecting a potentially volatile question...

Given the incredible abundance of hydrocarbons on Titan and elsewhere in the solar system, why do people so tenaciously cling to the theory that hydrocarbons on Earth can only be of fossil origin? My layman's understanding is that fossil origin theory derives from a single piece of evidence, that being the presence of an isotope which can only be the result of biological activity. However, with the discovery deep rock bacteria, it is entirely possible that hydrocarbons on Earth are being affected by active underground life rather than having been created by life. Few people seem to be aware of the sketchy nature of the evidence pointing to fossil origin when, in fact, there is a great deal of evidence against it.

http://www.oralchelation.com/faq/wsj4.htm

Now, don't get me wrong...I'm not a pave-the-Earth type and I fully support the wise-use and conservation of resources, but I firmly believe that politics has decided the scientific consensus on this issue.

Thoughts?

[centsworth_II]

...why do people so tenaciously cling to the theory that hydrocarbons on Earth can only be
of fossil origin?...I firmly believe that politics has decided the scientific consensus on this issue.

Either way, I don't think it changes the fact that natural hydrocarbons on Earth are a
non-renewable resource when looked at on a scale of hundreds of years.