Aime, I agree with the need for R&D now, so that we a solution when supply runs out (or just gets far too expensive). Whilst I think we are smart enough to come up with a solution, its better to have it ready to go, than to start behind the 8-ball.

One of the problems that I foresee, particularly in Australia, is how seperated by distance we are. Your example of needing cars to get to work fits me like a glove. I live in a regional town, and my husband works out of town. There is no way we could get two incomes with having two cars (although we only use the one if it happens to be possible on a particular day).

Another issue that will arise will be the cost of food. We are used to very cheap food in this country and run a real risk of the price of oil pushing up the cost of production (for tractors, pumps, spray rigs etc) and the cost of transport.

Ahh, electric cars, a favorite subject of mine.
The following steps need to be taken now.
1.
To reach the situation where we have electric cars for short range (50km)
radius trips the government needs to accept changes to the Australian
design rules right now.
2.
They need to stop funding roads immeadiatly and pour as much money as
possible into electrified railways.
3.
Introduce petrol rationing now. (This will free up foreign currency
costs from oil imports)
5.
Stop manufacture of internal combustion engine cars for private use
and startup manufacture of electric cars. Emergency services only.

Having done this we should have the time to get suffient photocell
systems designed and installed as people change from their present
cars to electric cars.
With a photocell distributed power system the cars would be run without much
in the way of other energy demand.
If we started right now we might just scrape in in about 10 years.

The problem is which party would make that their policy for the next election ?

Unless we make steps like this now we will not have the resourses and energy
to make the transition to a new economic system.
I am pessimistic that we will start soon enough to enable civilisation
in its modified form to survive.

"The problem is which party would make that their policy for the next election ?"

Maybe the Greens? I certainly wouldn't vote for such a scheme and I suspect neither would the majority...ahhh thank goodness the majority still control the country.

Bazz the problem I see with point 2. and 5. is they seem to be city centric. How do you propose rural people get to work or town etc.

"Introduce petrol rationing now. "

Rationing has no place in modern society. Taxing works a lot better.

Taxing would be unfair to lower income people, and there will a lot
of them. The tax would have to be very high to bring about the sort
of needed reduction.

The point about electrification of railways and their expansion would
mainly be in the country. Long distance trucks will be out of business
anyway.

As far as getting into town, well how do you propose to do that anyway ?
Eventually there won't be the fuel to drive into town and you won't be
able to afford it even if you can get it.

You might be able to make your own bio diesal which some farmers already
do in some places.
Otherwise look around for a sulky.

"Taxing would be unfair to lower income people, and there will a lot
of them."

It would be no more 'unfair' than making poor people pay for their own rent, land, food etc. There are ways to amke sure poor people are not treated unfairly in our society. Rationing resources is not one of them, for very good reasons. Petrol and electricity are not fundamental human rights. As part of a suitably targetted green tax shift, poor people would not be any worse off.

"The tax would have to be very high to bring about the sort of needed reduction."

Depends what you mean by 'very.' A doubling of the price of electricity would be more than enough.