Civilization as we know it is coming to an end soon. This is not the wacky proclamation of a doomsday cult, apocalypse bible prophecy sect, or conspiracy theory society. Rather, it is the scientific conclusion of the best paid, most widely-respected geologists, physicists, and investment bankers in the world. These are rational, professional, conservative individuals who are absolutely terrified by a phenomenon known as global "Peak Oil."

Oil will not just "run out" because all oil production follows a bell curve. This is true whether we're talking about an individual field, a country, or on the planet as a whole.

Oil is increasingly plentiful on the upslope of the bell curve, increasingly scarce and expensive on the down slope. The peak of the curve coincides with the point at which the endowment of oil has been 50 percent depleted. Once the peak is passed, oil production begins to go down while cost begins to go up.

In practical and considerably oversimplified terms, this means that if 2000 was the year of global Peak Oil, worldwide oil production in the year 2020 will be the same as it was in 1980. However, the world’s population in 2020 will be both much larger (approximately twice) and much more industrialized (oil-dependent) than it was in 1980. Consequently, worldwide demand for oil will outpace worldwide production of oil by a significant margin. As a result, the price will skyrocket, oil-dependant economies will crumble, and resource wars will explode.

.......Iraq anyone?

http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil
http://peakoil.blogspot.com/
http://www.peakoil.com/
http://www.hubbertpeak.com/
http://www.peak-oil-news.info/
http://www.after-oil.co.uk/
http://www.oildecline.com/
http://members.home.nl/peakoil/
http://www.oilempire.us/peakoil.html
http://www.peakoilportal.com/
http://wolf.readinglitho.co.uk/
http://www.peak-oil-crisis.com/
Optimist: http://peakoiloptimist.blogspot.com/
Pessimst: http://peakoildebunked.blogspot.com/

And here a nice STUDY paid and done by our trusted oil companies to try to debunk the Peak Oil Theory::-))) http://cera.ecnext.com/coms2/summary_0236-821_ITM

OK, it might not look interesting NOW, but assure yourself you WILL be looking at these links sometime in the future, when you realize what is happening.

always interesting topic, and I agree with your points