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There is a way that we can keep prices from rising as dramatically in the future: let's start tapping our own oil reserves, coal reserves, and building nuclear power plants for starters. We are being asphyxiated by environmentalists and their allies in congress who refuse to tap vast quantities of oil off shore and in Alaska. They also oppose the construction of nuclear power plants as well. (This is one time I DO want to be like the French). Dems in congress don't apparently grasp the irony of threating to sue OPEC because they won't produce more oil, while at the same time opposing tapping our own resources. There are five billion barrels of shale oil that is just ripe for tapping in North Dakota. Technologies are also allowing Montana to turn coal into oil (the U.S. is the Saudi Arabia of coal, by the way).

The idea that we can't "drill our way out of this" is silly. As others have pointed out, that's like telling a man dying of hunger that he can't eat his way out of malnutrition, or a man dying of thirst that he can't drink his way out of his condition. We are (or should be) always concerned about the marginal affect of what we do. (Remember the slogan, think globally, act locally?) Even if we are able to increase production by a small amount to begin with, we are still infinitely better off than we are now, simply ringing our hands and doing nothing. (Another irony that has apparently escaped Barack Obama and his supporters is that while it may take a few years to get oil flowing, it will take longer to get untested alternative technologies on line.) I believe it is safe to say that oil futures markets will feel the effect almost immediatly if we open Alaska and other places to drilling, even if substantial output is a few years away.

The bottom line is that we are right where the political left wants us to be. They hate suburban Americans, and our lengthy commutes in our big, safe cars. This energy crisis is heaven-sent, as far as they are concerned. They can now try to force on us their view of the world where only solar, wind and hydro power are allowed. We can either chose to develop our resources (and more wisely use the ones we have) or we will have a dramatically lower standard of living.

For the life of me, I can't understand why the
United States is sitting back and allowing the
Middle East to smile at us while we police that
part of the world on a daily basis with American
blood and they refuse to increase production of
oil which we buy from them to start with. They
are really "KILLING TWO BIRDS WITH ONE
STONE" ! ! ! 1st, we buy their oil at a fair price,
and 2nd, we provide them with the most advanced military known to the modern world. !
Not to mention all the military hardware that the
Middle East buys from American Companies. !
If it were not for the US, countries such as Iran,
Russia, North Korea, Libya, and God knows who else would OWN that part of the world.

THANK YOU. ! ! !

We, Americans, cannot keep on living life hoping more oil is going to come along. It is not guaranteed and never has been. We should not shirk our environment for a current crisis by drilling and digging in our nation's reserves. We are the country that developed the technology to put a man on the moon. There is no reason why we cannot come up with something to power our lives that isn't a detriment to the earth. Global warming is/should not be a liberal platform or God-send crisis. Neither should it be a mocked theory by conservatives. Better to play it safe and consider it true, than go on the way we are destroy the only planet we have. America has the potential to lead this movement in energy technology and I strongly hope that take on that mantle.

What I find to be tremendously troubling with environmentalists and their allies in government across the board, is that they do not have one viable energy source to offer that can replace combustible fuel and coal. Yet here we are in a horrific energy crisis that is hurting our way of life and our nations stability. We do not the civil infrastructure in place nor do we have the ability to bring down prices immediately because of "non-existent" energy policy that has done little to see this crisis coming in the first place. Instead, we have individuals in Congress who threaten Saudis to drill more or "else." While they won't allow this energy rich nation to develop our own untapped resources.
So, we have to work with what we know now (i.e. nuclear, coal, oil) and give this nation's economy some stability with the intent on developing viable energy futures. The United States should take these times as a wake-up call. In other words, we must seek energy independence. Not only is it a matter of our national interest, but it serves to weaken those nations that promote terror.

Are we ready for gas prices to double and triple? Do you think they really will? And who should be responsible for planning for that day?

In order:

No.

No.

You should. The responsibility for planning for future economic hardships is up to individuals. The "government" has already proven that it is unreliable. So begin planning now ... adjust your spending, pay down debt, start saving, conserve and vote for limited government.