Instability in word oil supplies and higher oil prices, while expensive for people and a threat to our oil-sensitive economy, does have a good impact.
As oil nudges up in price, alternative energy technologies and energy conservation start to look attractive to investors, stimulating innovation where it is needed to help treat our fossil fuel addiction. Which is good, because the oil supply is finite and going cold turkey on oil 50 years from now would be pretty ugly :-)
Wired News: Energy Gets Jolt of Venture Cash.
As someone I follow says:
“There are no more prizes for predicting rain, only prizes for building the ark”
or as Hawker and Lovins(2) said:
“Not much point cleaning the house when its about to be flooded by the rising waters”
bring on the sandbags.