Ebbie, I think in a lot of those countries, the money is going into the pockets of only a small number of people at the top. However, in some less developed countries, where large numbers of people don't have access to many of the things we take for granted (electricity, for example), forward thinking entrepreneurs from more developed countries are going in and marketing technology that will bring such luxuries to more people, without the need for oil.

On the radio recently, I was listening to a story about some people from some western countries going to places like India to sell solar powered lights to farmers with little or no access to electricity. The farmers were very enthusiastic about the lights. Some third world countries could possibly end up bypassing the petroleum dependent phase we're struggling to get out of altogether.