pdq has it right...population is THE major issue (or will be soon)...whether we run out of oil or not, we cannot support 50 billion people.

and by the way... "Motorists in the UK and throughout Europe have been paying the equivalent of about four dollars a gallon for years."

...yep, but most of them don't have to drive nearly as far as folks in the USA...I went to Madison, Wisconsin last week, (with a traveling companion buying the gas)...1700 miles round trip. I could simply have not afforded the trip on my own. We have people who commute 2 hours EACH WAY, 5 days a week....and sit in traffic a lot, too. People have been warned for years, but it takes a major hit to get them to decide to change habits, and some habits can't BE undone in a few years. There will be pain..........