Reg: "How old would you say some of these discoveries are? Do you think they are now being fast tracked into use because we/the people that need to have come to terms with the truth about our addiction to fossil fuels?"

I think it has more to do with the price of oil. More and better R&D into biofuels really took off in the late 1990's when the oil price jumped from about $20/barrel to over $100/barrel. But it took time for things to develop. Likewise, additional natural gas sources were known about for years, but shale gas investments really got going once oil prices went high and were predicted to stay there. Some of these concepts were things that the majors were sitting on for awhile, waiting for fiscal viability.

I believe it's had less to do with increasing acceptance of climate change theory although that probably plays a part as well. Interesting that both Democrat and Republican administrations have shepherded these things through.

There is still extensive technology around carbon dioxide (and other carbon-based gas) capture and storage that have been developed and could be economical in a world that prices in the effect of extensive burning of fossil fuels.