Thanks for the algae link, but did you read this:

“Solazyme is currently producing thousands of gallons of algal oil and recently signed a biodiesel feedstock development and testing agreement with Chevron Technology Ventures, a division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc.”

That’s just great, I believe it’s Chevron that has the patent rights for the EV-95 battery. After being sold the rights to the battery from GM, Chevron (who bought out Texaco) turned around and sued Toyota and Panasonic to get them to stop making large format NiMH batteries. They were getting 120 mile range out of these batteries. Chevron holds the patent to these batteries until 2014.

Chevron will tie up this technology too. I sorry I have zero confidence in anything Chevron is tied to.

Hard to say when that could happen, but consumption by China & India continue to increase relentlessly. They, like us, can be expected to do ANYTHING it takes to get the oil they need.

Moreover, increases in oil demand by those two giants can easily offset decreases in American & European demand. Barring some dramatic improvement that isn’t readily apparent, prohibitive prices and even shortages might not be too far off. That’s an easy trigger for armed conflict.

In the short run, we can ameliorate prices and avoid shortages by drilling in Alaska and off-shore. And IMHO, we should. But that’s not a long-term solution. At best it can buy time to convert all our vehicles — and some of our homes and businesses — away from oil (towards electricity generated by nuclear, solar, and wind).

China in particular continues to play hardball to gain access to coveted oil-fields. And they’re succeeding. The Wall Street Journal had an article last week about China routinely outbidding Indian companies for ownership stakes in oil exploration & drilling ventures around the world.

China also bribes oil-producing nations — particularly in Africa — with billions in low-interest or no-interest loans or outright gifts of “development aid.”

With hundreds of billions of dollars flowing into China’s coffers every year from short-sighted American consumers of “cheap” goods, China has piles of cash for such endeavors.

Those same piles of cash also enable China to keep modernizing and enlarging its military. And, unlike the USA, China’s not funding its military build-up through unsustainable deficit spending.

China certainly intends to do more with its military than simply “re-unite” Taiwan. All of China’s forces — Army, Navy, Air Force, and possibly Space-based — will be more larger than ours within 20 years. Hopefully they won’t also be more advanced or efficient, but that’s a possibility too. What better purpose for those armed forces than to take scarce oil (and water) resources?

Access to oil and water will mean life or death. Let’s get the hell off oil ASAP. That way we can sit out the horrific oil wars that may be coming. It’s tragic enough for Chinese & Indian people to kill each other over oil someday — let’s not have a “need” for Americans to die in such a conflict too.

I really need to stop using the tablet to comment, s/b:
I have seen a few fewer cycles than some but have seen enough to recognize from whence they come.

I have seen a few fewer cycles than some but have enough to recognize and whence the come.

Hopefully the silver lining in the downturn in oil prices (I do believe will coincide with worldwide soft economic conditions that will persist for at least 1 1/2 years) will be that it gives GM the opportunity of a “softer” transition. The just need to stay firm in their resolve for “gas friendly to gas free.”