while they are at it they could all acknowledge the fact that a kilowatt of sun energy falls on a square meter of earth
Your best source is theoildrum.com if you are really interested. The problem with tarsand is scalability. Just like certain trading strategies can not be used above a certain size, the max. output of the tarsands won't be bigger than 4 mbpd, ever. And currently it is only above 1 mbpd and it will take at least a decade to hike it up to 4. So it counts for a little, but not enough and not soon enough. Here is an earlier thread on peak oil: http://elitetrader.com/vb/showthrea...31&perpage=20&highlight=peak oil&pagenumber=1 One good chart from it:
I don't think this guy puts enough faith in humans ability to adapt. There are different levels that different alternative solutions to oil become attractive and these will be exploited to the fullest. Leave it up to MIT grad students to come up with the solutions. It's finally becoming the scientists and engineers time to shine again (since the industrial era). In the past, many of the smartest people in this country have dedicated themselves to shifting money back and forth on Wall Street creating little, if any, NET value. Maybe things will start to change and this country start to value whats long overdue to be valued.
^If MIT grad students were given a guarantee of pussy for discovering an alternative energy source, they'd find it....
...and the point you are trying to make? The product from drinking beer is ultimately a liquid, after a whole pile of processing. Oh, sorry, different thread....
...and yet, some believe that the earth has a "creamy nougat center", filled with everlasting, and self generating "abiotic oil". I know, its batshit clazy, but its worth a few laughs...