I, too, had to laugh at the blithe way Mr. Leonard assumes all will be well because it HAS to be. We have come to depend on oil for every aspect of our civilization, including the manufacture and dispersal of all medicines and medical equipment. Already the government has made it clear that the luxury of health care is only for those who can afford it and those numbers grow smaller every day. Rationalizations will be made that thousands will die so that the privileged may continue to live their more vitally important lives. As fuel becomes more expensive services such as 911, including ambulances and the fire departments, will only be available to those who pay a fee for them. Emergency rooms will close due to the increasing expense of treating a population that can no longer afford health insurance.

As industry and overpopulation continue to pollute and use up the available potable water, clean water will become something that is only available for money. In some parts of the world this is already a reality. This is not a problem that will be fixed by wind power or solar energy. This is a problem caused by climate change, an increasing population and limited resources.

Oil is directly responsible for civilization as we know it, for good or ill. And when it is gone, or in such limited quantities as to benefit only the wealthiest few, there will be a dramatic decrease in food, water and medical care. This will lead to the die-off that Mr. Leonard believes is unbelievably far-fetched.

Apparently Andrew Leonard only feels there is a problem if it affects his immediate circle and does not take the growing evidence accumulating in the rest of the world as reason for concern. An attitude all too common in America.

Because of this one article I will not be renewing my subscription to Salon. I did not subscribe to a progressive news service to be offended by a hack like Farhad Manjoo and his right wing opinions. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has done the research and confirmed what many of us knew to be true. Why would you print this crap? Let Farhad peddle his lies and distortions elsewhere - like Fox News. I'm sure they would love him there.