Exactly right. Our economy is entirely based on cheap energy in general and, for transportation in particular, on cheap oil - even in ways people don’t really think about, like the choice to move from rail to trucks.

Take a look at table 1.3, titled “Primary Energy Consumption by Source, 1949-2007″ on:

Note how much faster oil consumption has grown than coal consumption, and since 1970, faster than natural gas consumption.

Now that oil is no longer cheap, our reliance on oil is hurting badly.

We had a warning of what it would be like in the late 70s and early 80s, but, obviously, the lesson didn’t stick.