In the article he talks about how ancient civilizations were forced to innovate better processes to make Iron as Tin, a formerly easily accessible raw materials began to run out and how the British replaces wood stoves with coal. He suggests that these transition each happened to adapt to new realities of the day. And indeed, the civilizations that adapted to these new realities earlier were forced to innovate another way while others that did not were left behind. He also gave an example of an ancient North American Indian village that ran out of wood and was forced to abandon their village after 100 years.

After the past century and a half of oil consumption, our civilization now faces this challenge and how we adapt will make all the difference. I don't believe that collapse is fate, but rather that as Jared Diamond made a case for in his book "Collapse", societies either choose to collectively adapt or they will self destruct. In both cases, the final outcome is completely based on human decisions, often at the highest levels of leadership.

And this pretty much where Prof. Sass concludes too:

If there is anything to be learned from history, it's that we need to face the harsh reality of fossil fuel scarcity and begin something like a Manhattan project to develop clean, economical, and preferably sustainable new sources of energy. Just as importantly, we need to innovate on the side of conservation and efficiency. The Indians of Mitchell were able to move to the Missouri, but if we use up, or more realistically, greatly deplete, the resources of this earth, we have no place to go.

A Manhattan project indeed. Sort of like what the folks at the NY State Apollo Alliance are calling for....