Someday, maybe in two years, maybe in 2020, the demand for oil will outstrip the supply of it. How long after we reach that point will we go on denying it? Petroleum is at the base of much of what we modern-day folks take for granted — gasoline, jet fuel, plastics, pesticides, fertilizers. What to do? In an upbeat series of articles, Utne Reader explores life after the inevitable demise of the oil economy. From car-sharing programs in Portland to the spread of light rail across the U.S., some Americans are embracing alternatives to black gold.
