Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-01-28

vi
Atoms Will Be Not Be Available
For OF Leust q Half Century
By Thomas R. Henry
For ct least the next half century
atomic energy win have little value for
American industry.
This Is the opinion Of the country's
leading biologists, determined by ma
tional survey conducted by the Ameri-
can Geological Institute which is as
ISOLATED with the National Research
Council.
The biologists recognize the depletion
Of petroleum supplies both here and all
over the world. as well as the eventual
depletion Of coal. but they look to direct
utilization Of solar energy as the best
means Of making up the deficit. Thus
they add to the warning Of President
James B. Conant Of Harvard before the
American Chemical Society last Sep
pected from the enormous reservoir Of
energy bound up in atoms.
Within the past two weeks there have
been reports Of actual utilization Of
atomic energy but without sufficient
emphasis on the fact that these uses
are very far from practical and that
costs of any large-scale use would be
astronomical granting the highly
debatable point that any atomic
engine" divorced from large-scale pile
operation with its enormous heat pro-
duction ever viii be possible.
On the other hand, solar energy. II
means of utilizing it can be found, will
be free. In this direction some Of the
Nations leading scientists now are look
ing and revolutionary developments
may be close at hand.
Petroleum Production TO Decline.
There was almost unanimous agree
ment. the survey showed, that by 1875
direct production Of natural petroleum
in this country will be past its peak
and importation from abroad will be
insufficient. Yet constantly increasing
demand for petroleum products is seen.
The declining supplies win be supple
mented by liquid fuels produced from
the large oil shale deposits on the Colo
RADIO plateau and the low-grade Goals
Of the Midwest and Plains areas. The
biologists see more use Of water power.
but the proportion in relation to ma
tional energy demands probably win be
no greater than today. The use Of pow
dered coal to replace industrial fuel
oil and increased use of coal as Pc
troleum deposits are depleted. they say.
should double coal production within
the next 80 years. Most Of this in-
crease will be in liquid or gaseous form
rather than the solid form OF which we
are accustomed.
Within the next IS years. it is be-
lieved by DR.. S. G. Lasky Of the United
States Geological Survey. the produc-
ton of supplementary supplies Of oil
and gas from the controlled burning
of underground coal seams, in much
the same way as now is being done ex-
perimentally in Alabama, win be stand
ard procedure.
Domestic petroleum production will
be past its peak by 1875, according to
the answer to the QUESTIONABLE by
Eugene Ayres Of the Gulf Research and
Development Corp, and we probably VIII
be unable to make up the deficit through
importation. This viii force the United
States to large scale production from
. shale and coal and by the year 1000
these will yield most of the domestic
supply. BY that date. he believes, heat
and power from solar energy should
reach a substantial figure.
Photographers I'm 50 Years.
This view is shared in general by
M. M. Leighton. chief of the Illinois
State Geological Survey. He suggests
that by A. D. 2000 man viii have suf-
ficiently mastered the process of photo
synthesis to use it. just as do plants.
to obtain energy from the sun.
Man might have turned to solar en-
ergy long ago, said Wallace E. Pratt.
former vice president Of the Standard
OH Co. Of New Jersey, had it not been
for the enormous coal and oil resources.
Inventive energy, it is pointed out. has
not been challenged in this direction.
Had Americans turned to this field, he
believes, they would have had far more
available energy than has been supplied
through gas or fossil fuels. These. after
all, are only solar energy trapped long
ago by what seems relatively inefficient
process.
The biologists naturally leave their
comments on atomic energy with big
question mark because much of the pres
emit research is so closely tied up with
defense projects that 1t is highly secret
and not available to them.