Originally posted by Chris L
...The way I see it, there are two alternatives here. Either fuel in its current form can be priced to reflect the finite resource that it really is (and that doesn't happen at the moment), facilitating a gradual transition and perhaps buying our species more time to come up with something better (something I'm not convinced our species has the intelligence to do, and hence the current situation).
The other alternative is to simply suck up to the current leaders of the oil industry, subsidise the crap out of it (which is what currently happens) until there is an oil shortage crisis, and then have a massive panic when the time comes. I know which option I'd choose.
Chris L,
Very good points, but there is a third alternative, you touched on it with your comment about the inteligence of our species.
Although, IMHO, they are a little optimistic on the timeline, Zager and Evans said it best:
In the year 2525
If man is still alive
If woman can survive they may find
...
In the year 5555
Your arms hanging limp at your sides
Your legs got nothing to do
Some machine's doing that for you
...
In the year 9595
I'm kinda wonderin' if man is gonna be alive
He's taken everything this old Earth can give
And he ain't put back nothin', whoa-oh
Now it's been ten thousand years
Man has cried a billion tears
For what he never knew
Now man's reign is through
...