Oil

In the comments, reader Rob invokes the specter of peak oil:

Gee, if that's true then I guess, as I see it, since we're almost out of oil, we'll have to burn vast amounts of coal in order to heat our homes and businesses.

I did a little research, and MSNBC isn't so sure:

“Oil is too critical to the global economy to allow fear to replace careful analysis about the very real challenges with delivering liquid fuels to meet the needs of growing economies,” said Peter Jackson, director of oil industry activity for Cambridge, a Massachusetts-based consultant to the oil, natural gas and electric power industries.

The said the peak in global daily oil production will not come before 2030 and will be followed not by a steep decline, but rather by an “undulating plateau” of ups and downs in output before a gradual dropoff, according to the report.

Jackson said the main flaw in “peak oil” theory is that it fails to account for exploration, technology, rising estimates of the size of existing fields and geopolitical shifts. [...]

The plateau could last for decades, Jackson said.

“The 'peak oil’ theory causes confusion and can lead to inappropriate actions and turn attention away from real issues,” Jackson said.

I'll keep my Grand Cherokee for now, thanks.