But that is changing: That is why China is now consuming so much energy - not nearly as much as us - but they are rapidly joining the industrialized world. After all, we need someone to produce all those cheap goods we buy form Wal Mart.

I do agree that peoples, not just U.S. people are very inventive and resilient. I suspect we will find alternate energy sources as well as ways to be much more energy efficient, but I also suspect that market forces may well cause dramatic changes in our life style.