Petroleum not being used as an energy source isn't going to be the end of oil consuption. Everything is made with petroleum on some level or another. From the carpet your standing on to the polyester in your shirt. Being completely independent is bordline impossible. Most people don't like the alternatives either. Hydrogen fuel cells for cars isn't that far off, what is far off is the proper amount of infrastucter to produce the rediculous amounts of electricity it takes to pull hydrogen out of water. Everyone has a unfounded fear of nuclear energy because of Chernobyl, and Three Mile Island. Honestly if anyone is going to screw something up it would have been the Russian's. Three Mile Island could have been a major disaster had the proper steps not been taken, but that is the case with anything disaster is around the corner no matter what.