Mommy? What's petroleum?

Richard Webb speculates what a world without any products made from petroleum would be like. He points out, though, his thoughts are not mere musings or an environmentalist's hope, but a projection of continued high gas prices and their impact on society. He describes the path to said future, from U.S. and China's voracious appetite for oil, BP's issue in Alaska, and, finally, the "third shock" that will hit when the cost of oil reaches $100 a barrel by 2008. Webb agrees with analysts who see continued public interest in alternative fuels, a rise of corn prices due to ethanol production and a similar decrease in coal as a major fuel source.
[Source: The Age]