Nelson Ingram

UWRT 1103-005
Inquiry Proposal

My working inquiry question is What are people going to do when we run out of oil?. I know

that it is predicted that the earth will run out of oil in the coming century and that a reliable

source of energy needs to be found before then. I think this topic is interesting because it could

affect us all in the coming years. I also think it is interesting from an engineering perspective

because it is a huge problem that must be solved. I have a few assumptions about the topic

though. I believe that most articles will say that a new source of energy needs to be found soon

and that the oil wells are depleting. To gather information on my topic I plan to use the UNCC

library to find books and articles discussing oil use and when it may run out. I will also use

online sources like Google Scholar to find information online. Aside from these scholarly

resources I plan to find videos and blog post that discuss the views of the average person and

their beliefs on the issue. Potential issues for data collection might arise if the library does not

have a book in circulation or it has already been checked out. There are ways to work around

this, but it will not be as convenient. The outcome for this project that I would like to see is a

comprehensive study of the use of oil in present times and how much longer the use of oil can be

maintained. I would also like to discuss what is being done to manage oil reserves and the plans

for the future if they do run out.