[E. Pluribus Unum]

None of this will happen until the price of oil rises to the point where pursuing alternatives is economically profitable.

It already has.

Canada has enough oil sands to supply the world with oil for the next five hundred years, but at $30 a barrel it is not economically feasible to extract it with the steam technology required.

At $70 per barrel, however, it is quite economically feasible and production is being ramped up even as we whine about forcing people to use alternatives.

John Stoessel has an entire chapter on this in his new book Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity, where he debunks the myth that we are running out of oil.

[palmer]

Canada has enough oil sands to supply the world with oil for the next five hundred years, but at $30 a barrel it is not economically feasible to extract it with the steam technology required.

At $70 per barrel, however, it is quite economically feasible and production is being ramped up even as we whine about forcing people to use alternatives.

I have heard that many times before and it was true, when oil was $30 a barrel. But now that oil is $70/barrel the oil sand oil probably costs $100/barrel. Still infeasible.

[Labyrinthos]

I think we're on the same page.