No you have it backwards. What we need is the Hysteric Left to drop their ridiculous notion that there is some sort of silver bullet that we can find that will suddenly just slay the Oil monster. The need to accept the reality that it is an Evolutionary process, not Revolutionary. We are going to have to tap our existing oil supplies. ANWAR and the Gulf Coast before we can completely convert to the next energy source. The Hysteric Left's notion that they can get "alternative energy" if they fight tooth and nail against any short term development of exist supplies is just stupid. EVEN if the Hysteric Left could, which they cannot, wave a magic wand and create a magic alternative energy today, it will take DECADES to replace all the existing infrastructure with the infrastructure for the new energy source. Look at History. No on in Washington DC woke up one day and said "Right. Today you all switch over to oil" It was a evolution, under market forces, over time. The same process will have to take place to do away with Oil. Unfortunately the Hysteric Left thinks they can just with the 30-40 between here and a viable replace energy source for Oil by sabotaging any efforts at incremental change. That is why John Kerry ran around last year screaming about "a crash program in alternative fuels" it makes the Hysteric Left feel all warm and fuzzy with out actually DOING anything to solve the problem.
"No you have it backwards. "
My observation stands, and I think it's valid. But I understand your reply. What I said does have some of the sound of what the left is crying about. Don't cast me in that lot.
I understand the evolutionary process. I realize the market is important in the process. I have followed, cold fusion, electric, solar, and hydrogen fuel cells. I understand there is no magic fix. If it weren't for the security aspect, (making Venezeula and Saudi Arabia wildly wealthy), I'd be content to drain all oil reserves and let necessity be the mother of invention.
Where the profit is going is the problem. Government, AND the market can influence research and development. True, there is no magic fix, but there are alternatives. With refinement, the alternatives become better, and more reasonable.
The market is important, but it is not god. (I know that's practically heresey here).