There is no doubt in my mind that long before we run out of oil, we will have to change our approach as to how we use our planet's resources.  Whilst in Africa, desertification is a reality, floods in Europe and North America appear to be worsening too.  So, perhaps reality will bite, and Americans will finally realise that they cannot continue to waste resources at the current rate.  A couple more hurricanes might do it.  Not only do 5% of the world's population consume 24% of the resources, but America is also the leading perpetrator of terrorism in the world. Since Teddy Rooseveldt's time, there hasn't been a single year in which the US wasn't involved in one or more armed conflict somewhere in the world.    