RVAmeche said:
It'll be interesting if current events, highlighting how susceptible fossil fuel supplies are, really does speed up the transition away from them.
Yes, it will be interesting. While fuel prices being very volatile is nothing new, I think this time it might have more of an effect.... Or, at least I'm hoping that it will. I'm hoping to see the following (some of which will reduce fossil fuel consumption, some of which won't).
a) Continued movement towards more fuel efficiency. Maybe even the legislation of such changes here in the US. I'm not talking about full electric vehicles or anything quite so extreme. But, a push to fuel efficiency (i.e. small engines, hybrids, or such), both by the consumer and the regulators / legislatures.
b) Some effort to boycott or add tariffs to "unfriendly" countries that are either totalitarian, sponsors of terror or such. This doesn't reduce demand much except that it will have an effect on price which results in some reduction of demand.
c) A move toward "energy independence" for the US. Essentially, preferring our own energy production (or Canada's and Mexico's) to those that come from further away. Maybe even an resumption of the keystone pipeline.
d) I'm not foolish enough to think that we (the US) will move towards Nuclear power (which it should). But, hopefully the politics of nuclear will start being a little less toxic.