Dear O, On the contrary: the entire point of Prof. Hansons column is that innovation will drive development of PRACTICAL solutions to energy needs. Economists refer to this as ' substitution '. We've been ' running out ' of oil, and other resources, for centuries. That is the ' Malthusian ' worldview. Petroleum was developed as a substitute for whale oil, as whale oil became scarce. As non-developed countries build infrastructure and develop technically competent people, their ability to create substitutes for scarce goods will increase at an exponential rate faster than demand. That has been our historical experience and a full repudiation of the Malthusian theory. John Lepant Brighton CO