Peak Oil Reached in 1987 Toyota Corolla

American geophysicist Marion King Hubbert’s 1956 theory of Peak Oil, which posits that oil usage will rise to a peak and then steadily decline as resources are depleted, received a real-world validation this week in UMASS student Brad Finnerman’s 1987 Toyota Corolla. The vehicle, which has 207,000 miles on it, now burns nearly a quart of motor oil every day, up from a quart of oil every other day just a week ago, and a quart per week just a month ago. “It’s getting ridiculous the way it’s going up, up up,” Mr. Finnerman reported, prompting him to finally scrounge up the money to get his valve seals replaced. Once he does, the vehicle’s oil consumption can be expected to decline, thus mirroring the usage pattern forecast by the standard Hubbert Curve. The car, which Mr. Finnerman purchased last year for $500, also has confirmed Hubbert’s theories on resource depletion, as it has depleted all of Mr. Finerman’s resources, which, as Hubbert accurately predicted, are quite finite.