no it is not a given. All of those projections people put out of "30
years" or "50 years" of oil left are projections based on consumption of
reserves retreivable at current market prices. Obviously, as prices
rise, more difficult to retreive reserves become cost effective
resources. Eventually, even oil shales will truly become cost effective
reserves, as they are not now. Oddly enough, as market prices rise, the
number of decades of reserves available INCREASES.
The only real excuse to not use fossil fuels is because of global
warming, if it really exists. There is still debate on what the actual
effect is, and how much has to do with solar variances rather than
actual human pollution. THere are many indications that our present
pollutive state is protecting us from another ice age the we should be
knee deep in by now.
A secondary excuse to not use fossil fuels is from a libertarian
standpoint, to liberate oneself from the oil oligarchy. Solar, wind, and
microhydro power are excellent methods to liberate oneself from the
energy sugar daddy. If cold fusion in a bottle were actually to come to
frution, it would be a major destabilizing influence on the oil and
fissile nuke powers that have a big degree of control over our
mercantilist institutions. This is one reason not to buy the
conventional wisdom about cold fusion. The powers that be fear anything
that might loosen their control, and are not totally above tech
supression in areas that fit this bill.
>
> And unless someone in the meantime finds it worthwhile to put a major
> effort into tuning external-combustion engines (what we should have
> done in the first place), the "something" that will most likely be
> done is finding a way to make gasoline from some other raw material.
> Perhaps hemp oil or soybean oil.
>
external combustion? you mean a fireplace powered car???? ;)
-- TANSTAAFL!!! Michael Lorrey ------------------------------------------------------------ mailto:retroman@together.net Inventor of the Lorrey Drive MikeySoft: Graphic Design/Animation/Publishing/Engineering ------------------------------------------------------------ How many fnords did you see before breakfast today?