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Nature 426, 318-322 (20 November 2003) | doi:10.1038/nature02130
Commentary Hydrocarbons and the evolution of human culture
Charles Hall1,2, Pradeep Tharakan1,3, John Hallock1, Cutler Cleveland4,5 & Michael Jefferson6
Abstract
Most of the progress in human culture has required the exploitation of energy resources. About 100 years ago, the major source of energy shifted from recent solar to fossil hydrocarbons, including liquid and gaseous petroleum. Technology has generally led to a greater use of hydrocarbon fuels for most human activities, making civilization vulnerable to decreases in supply. At this time our knowledge is not sufficient for us to choose between the different estimates of, for example, resources of conventional oil.
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