the inside scoop

Here's a much-talked-about piece by Peter Maass, The Breaking Point, that was printed in the N.Y. Times Magazine in August. Also here's an audio interview on NPR with Mr. Maass.

In another interview on Fresh Air with Terry Gross, Mr. Maass states:

let's say for example; that indeed, there are limits to what they can produce. If they just all of a sudden announced to the world; you know what, guys, we're not going to be able to produce 12.5 million barrels a day. You'll have to develop alternative energy sources. You're going to have to start conserving energy. Then, two things are likely to happen, in the immediate term. One, is that the price of oil, which is already quite high; will skyrocket even more. And, the second - and, for the Saudis, more troubling kind of result, would be movements, in America and elsewhere; towards alternative fuels. Government programs to investigate and promote them. There would be movements, towards conservation of energy. And, the result of that - not immediately, but, five or ten years down the road. Is that, indeed; there might be alternatives to oil.

This means that such a well-connected reporter as Mr. Maass has no information to share about what needs to sustain our civilization in the long-term, alternate fuels. We know from Lee Raymond's words that scientific studies of that kind were done at least 20 years ago, and surely they have been done recently. Might Mr. Maass now be researching that problem for his new book?