The NY Times Magazine has an article about the latest pessimist concerned about Saudi's ability to pump as much oil as the world wants. And some beautiful photographs, too. If the pessimists are right, prices will go even higher; at some point, fossil fuels will look like the expensive choice. While shopping yesterday, I checked out the price of biodiesel, as sold in the supermarket. Pure canola oil, suitable for human consumption, $1.12/liter in a 16 liter box. That's not that far from gas around here. I know it's not a fair comparison, because fuel has taxes that food oils don't, and diesel is a little cheaper than gasoline, and the canola was likely grown with fuels bought last year at cheaper prices, and using straight vegetable oil in a diesel engine requires either some engine modifications or some chemistry and a methanol feedstock, but still -- notice I'm making excuses for the fossil fuel! There were also gas lines at the gas station in front, something I haven't seen since my youth in California. I guess the store's incentives were good enough that people thought queueing was worth it rather than going to the empty gas station across the street. It wasn't a long line, and it was gone by the time we went home, but wow, gas lines.