Article
Deborah Gordon, Stephen D. Ziman
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Source: Getty
In The Media
From Conventional to Unconventional Oil
The shift from extracting, processing, and consuming conventional fuel sources to unconventional oils carries a host of still unknown consequences for international economics, technology development, and the environment.
Published on Sep 12, 2012
Source: U.S. Embassy Berlin
Speaking at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, Carnegie's Deborah Gordon explained that the global energy supply is witnessing a major shift in petroleum sources as production of conventional oils plateau and will soon begin a steady decline. Unlike the mostly homogeneous oils the world community has increasingly extracted, processed, and consumed for the last forty years, unconventional oils are both more difficult to tap and more varied in characteristics, Gordon said. Unconventional oils, however, are still fossil fuels, which means their emissions of carbon dioxide still contribute to climate change. Because the international community is in the early stages of exploration and extraction, the regulatory system that is currently held for conventional oils may not safeguard against the new, potential harms of unconventional oil production, Gordon concluded.
About the Author
Deborah Gordon
Former Director and Senior Fellow, Energy and Climate Program
Gordon was director of Carnegie’s Energy and Climate Program, where her research focuses on oil and climate change issues in North America and globally.
- Petroleum Companies Need a Credible Climate Plan
- Advancing Public Climate Engineering DisclosureArticle
Deborah Gordon, Smriti Kumble, David Livingston
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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