Oil/Gas is irrelevant.

If I were in the oil industry, those are exactly the sorts of investments I would be looking at... not long-term, NOW.

This is one of many reasons that I am not employed by the oil industry.

I know BP has a solar division (I've driven past it), but I have no idea if it's the real deal or if it's a publicity ploy. I think some of the other players are trying to diversify as well. They're not stupid. But I don't think it's going to be easy for them to give up control of the energy infrastructure.

But... oil barons have grandchildren too.

Actually Oil should benifit eventually by all these new technologies.

Since Oil is needed in the creation of Plastics and other products. Which is pretty crucial in all the new vehicles, etc.


Im wondering though, What would be a realistic time frame be for introducing and using newer technologies? Certainly longer then the amount of time the US will be involved in Iraq?

Most of them are already in use in various places around the country and the world. But to displace petroleum as a primary fuel source? I don't think it'll happen until the supply dries up a little more and prices really skyrocket. As long as gas and fuel oil are cheap, there's not sufficient willpower to move to anything else on a widescale basis.

This is true. Ive always felt that the change will be gradual as Oil prices raise. In other words, as Ennergy from Oil becomes more expensive, other ways will emerge to take care of the Energy needs.

This seems the best way to do things, since any substantial disruption in Energy supply will cuase huge problems.

Now some encouragement in tax dollars might help, but this would be pretty small compared to the Energy needs (electricity, agriculture, Transportation, frieght) of the country and the world.

If someone stopped the oil tommorrow, I imagine solutions would be found. But i think a lot of people would suffer also.