Renewable Petroleum?

With all the furor over gas prices, and conflicts in the major oil producing regions of the world, an essay I read today seemed appropriate to pass along to you, the discerning Meow reader. We all know that part of what drives the price of petroleum, and gives power to those who control the flow of black gold, is its perceived scarcity, the belief that there is a finite quantity of oil and natural gas in the world. We all believe that they're going to get harder to come by as time progresses, and as we find more and more uses for them. This belief that we are in a global competition for finite resources has led us as a nation down some questionable roads, including cozying up to unsavory regimes in order to keep the black stuff flowing--but what if it isn't true? What if petroleum is a "renewable resource" after all? It's not exactly "alternative energy", but still, the concept has its up side, don't you think?

Curious? Here's the link.