[Dr. Thorne]

I hope you are right. But, it seems that currently we are a liquid fuel economy. Retooling that economy to provide transportation for 300 million people and countless goods, that currently travel in cars, trucks and airplanes that require petroleum based liquid fuel, will take a decade.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

There's no question a sudden change would be a shock. If you recall Michael Porter's “Five Forces of Industry,” the first change will be substitute products, IE; liquid motor fuels from coal, oil shale, etc. These products may be more costly than products from crude. Price signals will push the early adapters.