Question

If the known supplies of coal would last 300 years at current usage rates, how long would they last if we reduced our rate of consumption by 10% due to increases in use of wind and solar power?

Answer 1

Reducing coal consumption by 10% extends the duration of coal supplies from 300 years to approximately 333.33 years, given that the total available supply remains constant.

Step-by-step explanation:

If the known supplies of coal would last 300 years at current usage rates, to determine how long they would last if we reduced our rate of consumption by 10%, we can perform a simple calculation.

Let's denote the current coal consumption rate as R. If supplies are to last 300 years under rate R, then the total amount of coal available can be considered as 300R. If we reduce our consumption rate by 10%, the new rate becomes 0.9R.

To find the new duration (D) that the coal supplies will last at this reduced rate, we would set up the equation 300R = D × 0.9R. Solving for D gives us D = 300 / 0.9, which simplifies to approximately 333.33 years. Thus, reducing coal consumption by 10% due to increases in the use of wind and solar power would extend the lifetime of coal supplies to roughly 333 years.