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We’re going to be pumping oil for a long time

The question isn't when we will we run out of oil, it’s "when will we stop needing more and more oil?"

Gas containers featuring the Total corporate logo at the Total Refinery in Antwerp, Belgium.  
Gas containers featuring the Total corporate logo at the Total Refinery in Antwerp, Belgium.  
Mark Renders/Getty Images

Call it the richest of ironies. The French oil company Total announced yesterday it’ll install solar panels on about 5,000 of its service stations within five years. It’s the perfect example of where we are with our relationship with oil today. Yes, renewables are growing, but Total is going to keep pumping gas and diesel for a long time to come. The world still needs a lot of oil. Straight on the heels of that, a new report out from the International Energy Agency says we’ll probably need oil for a lot longer than we think.

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