Massive oil shortages by 2015?

US military warns oil output may dip causing massive shortages by 2015

• Shortfall could reach 10m barrels a day, report says
• Cost of crude oil is predicted to top $100 a barrel

Not to be an alarmist, but this news item has raised a few eyelids from a drowsy nap.

The US has to adopt new policies and lifestyles to reduce oil consumption. My suggestion is to take advantage of all the dark bandwidth, light-it-up and go to a four day work schedule. The business can still be 7x24, but the employees would work overlapping shifts on-site and one day remote. This reduces 1:5 of commute energy. For example, a manager would allow half of ones employees to work Monday to Thursday and the other half Tuesday to Friday. You can imagine rotating the schedule.

Schools are considering this across the nation and health services have always operated in this long-shift approach with longer recovery gaps. There are potentially some very real upside consequences.

First, if this can be coordinated with the whole family, there could be increased family contact ... some employees could put their forty hours in during the four days and have more restful recovery time ... happier, less-stressed (therefore) healthier, more productive workforce ... higher employment by hiring one new employee for every five currently ...

Obviously, there are some jobs where that does not work -- oh well, not everything is a 100% solution, but if we achieve 60% that would be a measurable success.

Personally, I work better with more front-loaded, overtime working and thrive on three-day weekends. The technology is here to support a secure, supervised, remote workforce. Does anyone know the origin of a 5-day on 2-day off schedule? Maybe for historic reasons it made sense, but now, is the time to change.

This is only one idea ... what is your idea? More ideas are needed. Comment and leave your mark.