I rarely get into debates with people because I am lousy at debating and have lost many times, not because the facts were not on my side, but because the other person is either more skillful or louder than I am. That is why I don't bother to watch political debates, because I know that the person who "wins" is not necessarily the one who is right. The jury is still out on the origin of subterranean hydrocarbons, but science has proven the universe to be a very different place than we thought is was just a few years ago. Hydrocarbons, which were once thought to be scarce or mainly the product of biological processes have been found to be quite abundant even in our solar system, and it would be no suprise to find large amounts of them incorporated into the crust of our planet.
Nevertheless, it is a common flaw of human beings to engage in short term thinking. Especially politicians & soccer moms. Forward thinking people have to buck the trend. It is easy to point out problems and complain. It is quite another to become part of the solution. And don't expect the government to be the solution. If you wait for that animal, you will lose. You be the innovator, the pioneer. How you live is what speaks the loudest. Gather a team of like minded people, do your research, come up with a real solution.
Whether petroleum is of bio or geo origins, there are no long term guarantees about supply from a geological or political standpoint. As has been pointed out, solar, wind, and hydro power have their drawbacks. All require large pieces of real estate due to low mean energy densities of wind and sun. New hydroelectric capabilites are unlikely due to enviromental concerns (some poor snail may go extinct). If you were able to solve all the safety issues of nuclear power, the total amount of fissionable materials available is also finite.
If you exclude petro & nuclear power, then your only choices seem to be:
Solar
Wind
Hydro / Tidal
Biological (alcohol, methane, hydrogen, etc.)
Get to work...
This is all I am going to say on this topic. There are other forums for such a debate. Back to narrow guage railroading.
Scott Green