[Lakegeezer]

Originally Posted by ITD

Problem is dollar for dollar, pound for pound, petroleum is the best, easiest, most cost effective source of energy we have right now and the technologies out now and near commercialization still rely on gasoline.

You are right, sort of - Oil is the easiest and we still rely on it - but we tend to not look at the big picture. First, there are strong signs that the price part of this equation won't last. Second, US taxpayers are spending $10's of billions and thousands of lives in the middle-east to secure the flow of oil - on top of the per barrel cost. How should the cost of lives factor into "best, easiest" true cost of oil? There is a lot of money being spent on the military that could be eventually redirected to research for new energy sources.



A century from now, it is very likely a new energy source will be well on its way to being adopted. The main question is, will the new source be phased in gradually, without economic disruption, or will it be adopted as a response to a crisis? This is the same question asked 30 years ago, in the 70's, and the answer was "let's just wait a while". What will we be saying 30 yeras from now, in 2035? Economics will drive the answer, but if "we the people" make the right choices, future Government leaders could redirect funds to soften the blow.