Dynamic fossils

SUNSET, dinosaur, undynamic. Words such as these are sometimes wrongly used to characterise the oil industry. Exciting alternatives to fossil fuels are emerging, but these remain embryonic. For all the talk, the world will remain heavily reliant on oil, gas and coal for decades. Fuel cells are a compelling idea, but the technology is nowhere near ready to make a serious difference to the energy mix. Renewables are also promising, but, while they continue to nibble away at the contribution of conventional sources of power, wind and solar power have merely scratched the surface. No alternative energy-generation system can get close to oil products for powering cars. Even with the high taxes th