At least oil production won’t fall off a cliff. In fact, I’m convinced that alternative energy technology will rise at a faster rate than oil will decline. In 100 years, maybe much sooner, the vast majority of vehicles won’t use gasoline, most oil will be synthetic, and I believe the transition to that will be very smooth – oil production will gradually drop (shale extraction will slow the drop), while alternative energy tech will gradually rise to take its place. As oil prices go up, more people will buy alternative energy vehicles, and the more people buy alternative energy vehicles, the more auto manufacturers will spend developing and building them. Every new model will be more efficient than the last.

Of course I’m also an optimist.

The biggest shakeup will be in those countries whose main export is oil. They will evolve into other areas, or they will become… Mexico.

More predictions – humvees will be electric, tanks will be nuclear, troops will be robotic or wear bitchin’ iron man suits, and gearheads like me will pay $50/gallon for the old-fashioned juice.