Man invented the steam engine 400 odd years ago, we have been driving cars in any volume for about 100 years and aircraft in any decent volume for about 60 years.
We will have little or no oil left in another 50 years and apart from China I expect the rest of the world is unlikely to go back to using coal in any volume.
As the amount of oil left reduces its cost will only go one way and this is probably going to be the biggest factor on us switching to other forms of energy.
What ever form this new energy takes weather it be electric/ hydrogen/synthetic or something that has not been invented yet my guess what we consider normal activity now is probably going to be very different in another 50 years. Air travel is unlikely to be as cheap, will classic car use be restricted because of the pollution or lack of the fuel to power them?
As much as our grandchildren are likely to be critical of us when we are gone because of how we behaved there lives are unlikely to be as free and exciting as ours have been. Will our grandchildren know what a V8 or a 2 stroke sounds like?
In another 100 years the world will be very over populated and the problem will be keeping its population fed and watered and this could be a reason for another major conflict either between nations or globally.
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