Originally Posted by Washington Post article
Meanwhile, we could temper our energy appetite. I've argued before for a high oil tax to prod Americans to buy more fuel-efficient vehicles. The main aim would be to limit insecure oil imports, but it would also check CO2emissions. Similarly, we might be better off shifting some of the tax burden from wages and profits to a broader tax on energy or carbon. That would favor more fuel-efficient light bulbs, appliances and industrial processes.
There is a strange confluence of events happening in this time. Just as we deal with this GHG issue, there is also the issue that is called "Peak Oil" where fossil fuel supplies run out. A side effect of Peak Oil is the political machinations that keep the oil flowing, particularly with regard to the Middle East. I've just read Robert Baer's "Sleeping with the Devil" where he describes how Saudi Arabia has nurtured Islamic jihadism and allowed it to prosper. The impact of this is far-reaching, extending well beyond Iraq and Afghanistan.
I don't think you need be as depressed about future events, but there will almost certainly be some major events that will serve to change the way we do things in the West.
I guess it would be a good idea to ride your bike and maybe think about how feasible it would be to do things like grow a garden in the back yard. These events might not come to pass really soon, but if the flow of oil is stopped, it will have a far-reaching impact on all our lives.