I also tend to believe that the only 'crisis' in oil, is in the stuff on top - it's been proven over and again, that there is enough oil still untapped to continue on course for the next 200 years. The problem is that nobody wanted to get it out before because their profits weren't high enough - not that it isn't there. New technology according to experts in the industry, can pull the oil out faster and more cheaply than could be done 5 years ago.
That being said, I still think the more efficient a vehicle the better however, I'm not really sure what all those people buying electric cars think they will be saving. In the end, the cost of electricity will rise to compensate for any losses in oil revenue so the gain will be zero. The only advantage will be to the environment but heaven knows how we will deal with the batteries that are scrapped and/or toxic waste that will result from other types of 'clean' transport.
The answer is that we can still use cars - they just have to be smaller and more efficient. The bigger problem lie in the lack of planning and initiative in building better and much more efficient mass transit. This won't happen unless a government steps in and draws up a master plan of connecting communities via a major transit corrider for mass public instead of a series of roads developed for individual use ie cars. You cannot and will never have the population of this country moving into cities only therefore, it makes more sense to set up a whole channel of transport via all the major corriders. It makes more sense to develop transport of goods in other ways than by trucks and roads but with the new NAU that isn't going to happen either.
When we talk about climate change though and energy - we keep putting little lightbulbs into the sockets yet nobody has come up with a safe way to dispose of the mercury. We create a whole other industry when instead, perhaps along with our thinking of fuel efficient cars, we should be entertaining ways of shutting down plants, shops, malls instead of running them 24 hours a day - a whole lot of energy is used up by running production plants 24/7 and let's face it, even opening up stores to shop in on Sundays means running air conditioning/ driving/using electricity more, than it would if they remained closed. sammieswife.
