I know that peak oil fans will rail against me like crazy, but there are plenty of alternative sources of oil/energy available.
Oh, yes, the peakers say, "but not at a price that is available to extract it efficiently".
To which I reply -
Look. In the setting of a serious and dire energy emergency, barring political stupidity, energy will be rationed into those activities that will produce more energy in the future:
1. Nuclear plant production
2. Solar energy production
3. Coal and oil sand extraction
4. Wind energy production
5. oil extraction from existing supplies
And what will happen is that:
1. Gas will be rationed
2. People will telecommute, ride the bus, drive vespas, (nat gas powered) or won't work. Jobs that require a 60 minute commute simply won't happen. We will adjust.
3. People will grow own food (victory gardens,anyone) to supplement shipping shortages.
4. Yes, economic growth will suck for 5 years, but thereafter, things will get back to a degree of normal and we won't be quite so wasteful.
These doom and gloom predictions are a bit too silly - like that old ABC afterschool special in the 70's where the government came into the home and took away the daughter's hairdryer!!!! Really now. So there will be a million rusting SUV's. Who cares.