Should we invest in greater exploration of crude oil or in fuels for the future?

Greater exploration will always result in diminishing returns and only represent a refinement on the exploration already done. We need a continued exploration for oil to have the resources with which to find alternatives so it can't be an either or decision, we need to invest in both.

Yes to all forms of energy.

Even though new discoveries of oil really are still happening, what's still believed by almost all scientists with very few exceptions, is that the day when we'll be more or less "all out" of oil, is not all that far away; just tens of years away, not hundreds of years away. Many believe that the amount that is being pumped out of the ground, has already "peaked" . In other words, that we're already getting less than we did a few years ago, even though the world energy demand is still getting higher and higher all the time. So if you mean just oil (not other related fuels like coal or natural gas) then all we can get from more exploring, is sort of, enough to temporarily keep it going as to oil being a main source. Oil is believed as said: to be on schedule to relatively soon, be almost completely run out of, all used up and hardly at all still being made by nature as to more being actually created. So, although there's still a lot of pressure to just keep using oil and not worry too much about it running out, that does seem pretty foolish. Other sources of power look like they're rapidly looking more and more vital and like they will end up absolutely necessary to turn to. So, the more that society rapidly would research and switches, if it can, to other fuel sources, the better off we'd all be. It looks like we have two choices: be smart, and get going on figuring out and installing new sources of energy...or wake up some morning, to a dangerous emergency with the whole world struggling and probably fighting for its energy. Many proven new types of energy are really extremely obvious as things to turn to: Wind, geo, tide, solar, biomass, expanded hydro, possibly improved nuclear energy, maybe even energy reflected from atmosphere or space mirrors.

Crude oil, if you want a return on your investment. This same question was posed by my geology professor in 1974. He said we'd be out of oil by the year 2000. He was ever-so-smart.

More could be done to grow plants like the Zaportha (s) bean. I think that's what it is called . . . Anyway, these oily beans grow in very arid places, like the Sahara. There is a company from England growing them in Egypt so they can make Bio-diesel. There could be masses of these plants grown, setting up whole new agricultural industry for the poorer nations who have all the ideal growing zones - if only they could stop all the terrorism in the name of their god.

Both. Current exploitable reserves of oil (those in use/about to be brought into use) are known as "economically viable." That means the market conditions as they are now will yield a profit from that source. based on those currently being worked we only have enough oil for a few decades. However, those deposits that are known but not presently viable will keep us going approximately 150years more at current growths and who knows about the sources we have yet to discover. This being A-Level chemistry I suggest you look into current nuclear technologies, Thorium-fluorine reactors that we really need to start getting public awareness up about, off shore windfarms (far more reliable than onshore, Hydro and wave powered sources, for the "fuels for the future." I advise against biofuel unless it is methane derived from composting waste, in the planet's growing population we need space for food far more than we need it to grow fuel crops. May be worth looking into (not sure of the name) a type of solar forge that uses gases in the air to create petroleum synthetically in areas that have a high reception of solar radiation.

Look at websites regarding bio fuel, this will give you an insight to an alternative fuel as I feel this is the way forward.

Crude oil is a dead end. The only reason to keep exploiting it is for cash, which is a pretty powerful motivator in our society. The returns will diminish all the same.