Reply #48: The near-term instability of our petroleum-based economy...

[Spider Jerusalem]

and the serious need for massive investment in mass transit infrastructure and energy alternatives.

In terms of impact, this is probably the most important issue currently facing America (and by extension the world)--oil production has been relatively flat since 2004 (and may begin to decline); demand continues to increase by 2-3% annually. The demand curve and the production curve are going to intersect at some point, and it's looking like it may be sooner rather than later, what with political instability and hints of greater conflict in the Middle East, along with the ever-increasing demand for oil from China and India. Once this happens, prices will spike ($100 a barrel seems to be the low range of the forecast), and economies worldwide will be driven into recession and possibly even long-term depression.

Time is running out to even begin to meaningfully address the problem, but unless we get a start on it everything else mentioned here is just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.