A one time boon that has lasted since the 18th Century with coal, and the mid-19th Century with petroleum? Seven generations have traveled on trains and steamships. At least four generations have been driving cars and flying in airplanes. I would say that systems were built quite nicely on fossil fuels, when you consider what life was like for most people before the fuels were exploited. They burned a lot of wood and whale oil, and it still was pretty bad.