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I'm sorry, but I must respectfully disagree with you on this. The problem with many people on TOD is that they have a set of preconcieved notions. Whether this was instilled in them via outside influences or listening to someones 'rant', most people hear bad news and witness some supporting evidence and automatically assume the worse.
The search stops there.
On Peak Oil, if they look a little closer and maintain an open mind, they can easily spot hundreds of potential solutions to this liquid fuel crisis. Just because the future doesn't include FFs doesn't mean that in some ways it wont be remarkably similar to today.
Hothgar, solutions on paper are nice, but you do not consider the complexity and limitations to each potential solution and of all current potential solutions combined (silver bbs) given that TimezUP.
And considering our "dear leaderz" are not up to the task of actually getting started on the problem let alone recognizing it (consider our clueless senator's and the silly babysteps proposed by the politically impotent, typical Politician we call a president).
"Just because the future doesn't include FFs doesn't mean that in some ways it wont be remarkably similar to today."
The "future" world will be remarkably similar to today's world in many ways... what is going to change very dramatically is the Ratio between populations living similar to today's First Worlders vs those living similar to today's Third World (including and especially the somalias etc).
Hope you find a "good pocket" to live. No such thing as "safe" - only "safer" (except when playing tag of course).
Oh please. From the way you act, you have already given up, and without even trying. What if someone had a design for some magical fusion device on paper. Would you still dismiss it outright? For reference, we do have a source of power 'on paper' that can satisfy all our energy needs: they're sometimes called 'wind', 'solar', 'hydro', 'geothermal', 'nuclear', 'electrification', 'biofuels', 'conservation'.
But clearly, they are so complex and have such high limitations that we shouldn't even try! Better go get in that drivers seat of your SUV!
I hear its about to take a trip to the nearest mall...
Hothgar, you ask if I would dismiss a "magical fusion device on paper" ?? It depends - How much energy do you get from this magical device while it is still "on paper" ? When would you get it off paper and into REALITY and at what cost and using what resources and would it be available for service before declining oil production begins killing the world economy???
You can imagine or project whatever you want but then you have to deal with reality of actually producing and deploying the system. As long as you stay "on paper" virtually anything might seem possible - "infinite possibilities" without considering probabilities or limitations posed by reality. We need realistic solutions now, not imaginary solutions on paper to hope for someday, and to waste time and energy on in futile pursuit in the present.
As for the simplistic view on wind, solar, hydro (and what energy source is 'electrifiction" ??) etc, - as I said above, you ignore the limitations of each and the complexity of the system you are trying to service (world energy needs). Each will contribute and play a role to some extent but they will not run this civilization as it's structured now.
And playing with imaginary hype with imaginary numbers "on paper" is not "trying." It's intellectual masterbation to relieve your anxiety over reality.