As the resident tree-hugging-hippie, who is actually taking a resource management class, I have to put my two cents in. First, I think it is really great to see that there are other people out there talking about the energy crisis.
I agree with Scott that it is very likely to be a doom and gloom scenario if we don't act extremely fast. However, I think that there are some other important things that we should consider. There is a lot of discussion about how if we don't act, we will lose our "American Way of Life." Frankly, if we aren't going to have the "doom and gloom" we are going have to change are way of life. Since 1950 global population has grown by a factor of 2.4 while global consumption has increased by a factor of six. The fact is that the richest 20% of the world consume 80% of the world's resources. If you are having trouble with the math that leaves 20% of the resources for 80% of the people. I don't have exact numbers on where that top twenty lives, but it would be safe to assume that a majority of them live here in the USA.
The resource scarcity also goes far beyond energy. Many analyst believe that the biggest conflict in the middle east will not be over oil but water. Fish stocks are also at peak harvest or in decline or are too contaminated to eat. Fishing boats from different countries have thrown molotov cocktails at each other in international waters due to the shortage. Resources like topsoil for agricultural lands are also being used faster than it can be reformed. In California, one of the biggest agriculture producers in the world, we destroy topsoil, due to poor land management 80 times faster than it can be reformed. World wide, we lose 7% of topsoil a year. In a world where population is continuing to grow this could potentially be a huge problem. The fastest disapearing type of land is wetlands- a crucial player in the water cycle essential to providing the world with clean water.
If we have any hope of maintaining some reasonable quality of life we must reduce how much we consume of everything and how much we waste. I don't mean to sound preachy,and I am by no means not part of the problem. I just ordered a new pair of shoes from Victoria's Secret and Carmen Electra's Strip Aerobics video- two things that I am sure I can live with out. Tyson also made a very good point about almost needing a cell phone to be successful. In our society we are expected to have certain things- decent clothes to be taken seriously at work, a cell phone to be reachable, a car (or two) to get where you need to go. To consume in excess is to be American. But Scott also asked, what he could do? I can tell you what I do. Don't buy disposable things (like swiffer pads and dusters or paper napkins) when you can do the job nearly as easily with something reusable. Think about how much packaging is used in products you by. Reuse what you can and recycle. Think about these issues when you vote. It's a start.
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