- there is no such thing as peak oil for us... the U.S. has, unlike some other continents, unlimited resources and a conducive environment and climate in which to mine or create fuel for internal combustion engines: coal, ethanol, vegetable, and so on...
- until the advent of some next 'age,' which i would guess would be the Age of Energy (upon some revolutionary discovery or development of inexpensive, non-polluting source of fuel), the U.S. will continue to use automobiles, which will remain essential for individual long-distance travel...
- the disconnect of liberal (and European) thought concerning American use of energy is the failure to recognize that there is an ingrained sense of 'individualism' in our culture... are there people who live their lives without driving, an automobile, or a driving license in the U.S.? certainly! but those people are way out of the mainstream...
- can bicycles and mass transit work? of course! but there has to be an incentive... in U.S. urban areas, mass transit is implemented when people-moving is more efficient via mass transit AND there is a lack of parking and other facilities for vehicular movement... (e.g. Boston vs. DC, NOT Tampa vs Atlanta)...
- there is no way our economy could move to mass transit or car-free travel in the next 10-, 20-, or 30-year time frame...
- moving back towards the horse or other beasts of burden brings up other problems...
(although i do like steak tartar [the equine version] like our European brethren; i prefer mine on thin pumpernickel w/chopped onion and lots of salt and pepper; btw, the U.S. is the biggest export of horsemeat to Europe, IIRC)
:-)