Same thing we should have done a decade ago: move to alternative energy. Drilling ANWAR is going for oil shale is just a quick fix that doesn’t remove the fact that fossil fuels are going to be used up. If we started on alternative enrgy in 2000, we would have a decent alternative to these gas prices by now.

Increase fuel efficiency standards for automobiles and invest in public transportation; however, that takes politicians who believe government can solve problems. Unfortunately, most Americans have been deceived into believing government is the problem.

Ed Reed
Port Aransas, TX

There is no silver bullet, and a many-faceted approach is the only way.

1) We must work to decrease our mental as well as physical dependance on fossil fuels. We need to think differently. Make fewer trips, walk more, drive less. Invest in educational programs to help Americans individually downsize their “carbon footprint.”

2) Invest beaucoup bucks in alternative fuel production. Not just ethanol, which is only a very small part of the equation, but in solar, wind, and (yes!) nuclear sources for our nations power needs. Explore for more domestic oil to help through the transition process.

3) Put the automakers’ feet to the fire: The technology for very efficient cars exists - Quit kowtowing to Big Oil and make these cars happen NOW.

4) Elect OBAMA! He gets it and won’t have to genuflect before any lobbyists, giving us all a chance to finally get this stuff done.

Our grandchildren’s future depends on it.

How about the complete opposite of what we’re currently doing? The government needs to invest more in long-term solutions instead of short-term fixes that have long-term side effects (i.e. ethanol fuel, hydrogen fuel, ANWR drilling). As a people we need to start driving more efficiently and stop buying SUVs that get <15 mpg. We also need to elect members of congress who are not in the pocket of big oil. And it’s probably about time we reopen the nuclear power debate. It’s cheap, it’s efficient and the dangers can be easily mitigated.

Start-up plants to turn coal into gasoline.It’s not rocket science; the Germans used the process over 60 years ago in WWII when allied bombing prevented their import of petroleum. And we’ve got a LOT of coal. Beats going to war with everyone. It’s a no brainer..

Jack,
What Americans have always done. Complain when they pay up at the pumps. then drive off in their SUV’s shaking their heads at the price.

Michael In Skowhegan Maine

Well,Jack,it is about 30 years too late. When we had the oil crisis in the 1970’s Jimmy Carter tried to come up with a long-term energy plan. It included gas mileage,alternative fuels,wind-power,solar-power and local exploration of new sources of energy. When Reagan became president,he bowed to the oil and gas industry and eliminated any energy policy that would have cut into their profits. As a result,we are at this inevitable crossroads today. There is nothing we can do now as the time for action and opportunity has passed America,get used to having less and paying much more for it. This is the legacy of Ronald Reagan.

There’s not much we can do. We should have listened to Jimmy Carter years ago. Instead we (the American media and people) laughed at him and kept on buying those gas guzzling SUV’s and monster trucks. Personally, I drive a KIA Rio and still find it difficult to afford fuel for the little thing.

#1… Lift the EPA restrictions that congress has been laying down for the last several years..

#2… Start drilling…

#3…. Get to work on the best alternative to gas propelled vehicles (hydrogen).. and get grants, and incentives to organizations who can develope something long-term, much like Honda in Japan has just announced.. Expensive to start, but they have got the ball rolling..

Look at what the Marshall Act has done… The recipients (Japan and Germany) have both, out-engineered the USA and are on the cutting-edge of all technology.

people should wake up and ask themselves do they really need to use their vehicle or could they walk to the store or to what ever function they are attending!

p.s. were i live the transit system is a night mare and the city council promotes it and when you complain they say they are working on their web site to make it user friendly but still not fixed five years later!

Mandate fuel conservation policies on all government vehicles, start with buying more fuel efficient automobiles…..

Mandatory training for every public employee that drives taxpayer owned vehicles to improve their driving habits and conserve gas…

Implement energy cost saving practices in all Government facilities…

Lead us by example, not more regulations or recomendations…

Then address the issues of what ELSE we can do besides paying more for what we need to survive….

I would tell Iraq to pump oil until the sun don’t shine. Instead of using our troops for target practice put them on the pipelines and glut the world with that black sticky stuff.

Increase incentive for alternative power.

Tax low milage vhicls.

If McCain wins the general election I will move south since I will be forced to ride a bike or walk when the gas prices double.

Raise the price of oil, That’s what everyone else is doing. Congress and the Senate should be fired and sent home period. The 545 members have done more to screw up this country than an army of George Bush’s. They have the best pensions, best healthcare, big paychecks, and more time off than any working slob in America. It is time to clean house and start over. Can you say term limits?

How about passing legislation that forces vehicles sold in the U.S. to achieve better fuel efficiency over the next 5 years?

Also, individuals who purchase vehicles that get less than 20 mpg should have to pay a ‘gas guzzler’ tax annually unless its used for the purposes of work (ie: working on a farm, etc). This gas tax would help discourage people from buying those type of vehicles and could help subsidize a better tax rebate annually for those purchasing vehicles getting more than 30 mpg.

Investing in the advancement of alternative fuel sources would hasten products and vehicles to the market that would reduce our demand for oil.

Take the country back from the hardcore NIMBY and rabid enviromentalists. Energy availability is a national and urgent priority. Quit blaming the oil companies for this problem. We created it–we need to solve it.

1) Open the coastal waters to drilling.
2) Open ANWR to drilling.
3) License building of new nucleur plants.
4) Large wind farms on coastal waters and open plains.
5) Oil Import Fees for imported oil. Yes–raise the prices further. It surprises me we still have traffic jams here in CA. We need to get more people into pooling and mass-transit. There has yet to be a fundamental large shift in people’s behaviors other than complaining.
6) Boost refining capacity. Need more refineries to process the oil.

Stop driving gas guzzlers.
Stop endless grazing at the buffet table.
Stop unnecessary trips.
Keep the air conditioner at 78 in summer and heat at 65 in winter.

There is a lot of things that the American people can do right now, but won’t. Gasoline will be nearer to $3 a gallon than $4 by the election and everyone will be happy.

Harry
Ky.

Jack -

We should have listened to Jimmy Carter 30 years ago. We should have listened to Al Gore 10 years ago, We should listen to Barack Obama now!!

1) Invest $150 Billion over 10 Years in Clean Energy; 2) Double Energy Research and Development Funding; 3) Invest in a Skilled Clean Technologies Workforce; Convert our Manufacturing Centers into Clean Technology Leaders; 4) Clean Technologies Deployment Venture Capital Fund; 5) Require 25 Percent of Renewable Electricity by 2025; and 6) Develop and Deploy Clean Coal Technology.

If we act now we have a chance.

Jack, I think we are way to dependent on foreign oil in countries like Saudi Arabia and Iraq. I think we should open up the oil reserves and work on diplomacy to open up negotiations with these countries. In other words, “Can’t we all get alone.”

we need to do what ever it takes to be proud americans again. the only other chose is to let the clintons and mcbushes have there way
and we all lose

Make Halliburton cover every building in the south and west with solar panels. Hey, it’d be a good start!

We need to start investing in public transportation. If we wait around till everyone’s convinced it’s a good idea, it’ll be too late. We won’t be able to afford to sit around while major systems are developed.

Boise, Idaho

They need to continue to look for other options. Most of the options out there are untested for impact. How money people worried about the impact that corn based ethanol would have on world wide food prices five years ago? Solar, wind, geo-thermal, and other options need to be more fully explored and we need to keep looking for even more options. There isn’t going to be a single answer to our need for energy in the future.

the Democratic Congress should roll out their Plan they promised during the last Congressionl election cycle.

Jack,
Kick the Texas oil man out of the White House and elect a President who will make a serious push towards alternative energy sources. Five years is more than enough time to implement some of the alternative energy sources out ther right now. But first we must get rid of the one person who’s standing in the way of progress in this country.

Make Halliburton cover every building in the south and west with solar panels. Hey, it’d be a good start!

Two words: Join OPEC!

Don’t take life for granted. This should be an eye-opener for all of us. If this and Bush’s policies did not do the trick then we are in for a long haul. And everybody should hold on to their seat belt tight . This is good old days God have mercy on us all in the world.

If they are smart they are looking for cars that get better gas mileage or some that don’t use gas at all. They also need to think about all the things made with oil not just gasoline or diesel. All the plastics, medicines, glue, lipstick, carpet, credit cards, fertilizer, insect repellent and the list goes on. We all need to think about recycling, conserving and alternative methods of transportation like electric cars and hydrogen cars and electric driven public transportation. We need to start thinking outside of the box and not just as individuals but as a nation.

i recommend we all buy scooters.

1st there is no shortage, even Saudi Arabia admits this. It is just a big scam. There is more oil available now to provide us at least 50 years of oil. Every other means of propelling cars uses more energy than it makes.
We make ethanol from corn when sugar cane is 6 times more productive, and there are doubts already that in the future we will find it more destructive to the envirement than was MTBE.

1. The government needs to cut its ties with the oil industry and stop subsidizing their profits. The oil and energy companies certainly care nothing about America and Americans and we should pay them the same regard.
2. The government needs to invest in renewable energy research.
3. The government needs to provide true and substantive tax incentives to companies and individuals for going green. (The incentives offered on hybrid vehicles were truly an insult.)
4. Since the government is typically the biggest offender of not getting on board of its own mandates, towns, cities, counties, and states must all put together plans and set deadlines for going green - from using solar panels or windmills, to having emission free public transportation.

Nothing will happen though until this administration has left office. They are so rooted in the oil and energy industries that they have no interest or desire to do what is right for this country, its citizens, and the world at large.

Get out of the Middle East, stop threatening to sue OPEC, and use diplomacy.

I think we should conquer an oil producing nation so that we can install a friendly government that will give us fair prices for decades to come. Oh wait! Sorry-yeah, we already did that and it didn’t work at all. Sorry.

Well, we could raise fuel efficiency standards in cars and invest heavily in alternative fuels. Oh wait! Sorry, that’s right-the oil companies and our political corporations all have a vested interest in keeping the status quo as it is for their own profit-no matter what they say on camera.

Well, I guess its revolution then hey! Oh sorry, I didn’t realize you were watching American Idol…

Let’s learn from Brazil and do it.
Imagin the 500 billion spent in Iraq if it were spent for alternate energy
we could have done it. And this America anything is possible.Still we
have time. Instead of thinking about Alaska think about Brazil.
I was really surprised to see it on CNN how they don’t import
a drop of oil.
Saint Louis MO.

heres a thought…… outlaw big honkin gas guzzlin status symbol 4X4s, invest in alternative, sustainable energy, and put more electric powered cars on the market, .. oh yeah and maybe we could put a stop to oil companies buying elections for politicians who would then live in said oil companies pockets.

Well, the Bush administration derailed the electric car, fuel economy standards and our ability to weigh leverage on OPEC. Their answer has been to relocate some Elk and deregulate the industry. Getting the crooks out of office is the first step to preparedness, followed by all of us standing up and stating that we are ready to reduce/change our consumption responsibly.

What we should have been doing for the past 6 presidents and 30 years — put a major emphasis on alternative fuels and better energy management on the personal and industrial levels. Nothing is going to keep us out of $5/gal gasoline. But, if we really invest in other ways to produce energy and manage our use, there will at least be light at the end of the tunnel. While we’re at it, maybe someone can explain what’s really going on to drive $130/bbl oil — we’re not getting the straight scoop from anyone.

Start drilling the oil in Alaska and of the coasts of this country and tell the “Latta” drinkers to suck it up. If them fools want to not drill on their land and off the U.S. coast then let them pay $8.00 a gallon to follow fat Al gore and Fat Teddy and nancy and we will pay two dollars a gallon and let them drill on our land and coast. Oh yeah, lets let them racist coal miners in west virginia and kentucy provide all the coal they want. Heck we will be glad to use it down south and in the midwest. These people voted their hearts and are called racist for helping provide this country with energy. I reckon what you call the blacks who voted 90% across the board for Barack, not racist surely. I guess highly educated stewards of energy.

We should be doing what we needed to do in the seventies.

Increase supply by drilling where the oil is regardless of what the Miami billionaires say. Start dispatching from the federal repository – NOW.

Reduce demand by conservation efforts - Drive less by planning trips and for God’s sake SLOW DOWN. Start getting serious about alternate energy technologies to reduce demand. Put up additional taxes for guzzlers’ (consumption based) anything from a SUV up to the tanks some people drive.

It’s not too late to start. Has anybody studied economics?

We need to start putting resources to work in this Country to provide our own gas and upgrading vehicles with better mileage. Americans need to come together and quit spending time complaining about the rising cost in oil. It is evident so far that Opec is not interested in our
concerns for the price of gas at the pump.

I think people need to stop blaming and complaining, and take a good, long look at the amount of oil they consume. If we are really honest with ourselves, I’m sure there are ways we can significantly reduce the amount of oil we consume. Yes, life may not be quite as convenient, but it won’t exactly be hard either.

Think outside the lines; and don’t elect oilmen. We have enough highly educated and innovate people right here to wipe out our dependence on oil completely. Making the grasp the Arabs have around our necks go away would be a side benefit, along with the creation of new American jobs. What are we waiting for, the last drop to be pumped from the ground?

I think we should do a Manhattan style project. Pick the Top 25 unique technologies that are renewable over long terms and put a billion into research on implementing each of them nationwide. We also need to avoid technologies that require crops since we need those for food and food is more important.

Then of those pick the Top 5 best choices that can be implemented in a relatively short time frame and give them collectively 250 billion to launch in all the top U.S. cities, working down the city list by most populated. That would jump start the process. We don’t need 1 solution, we need several to ensure we don’t end up like this again down the line.

Then I think we should donate the specs and roll out plans to these 5 technologies to every country on the planet for free so that everyone can benefit and help the environment. Also makes us look good at the same time.

We have wasted a lot more money in other places, these seems like a worthwhile endeavor to help our society and the world. This would show real U.S. leadership to help make the world a better place. Lead by example not by words.

simple JACK

1.) increase minimal wage
2.) 7.5% increase of pay for the military
3.) impreach the president
4.) fire every in congress and the senate
5.) hire Lou dobbs as president
and end this war in Iraq to me that is the main reason oil is where it is in price the saudis got this thing figure out we can’t make you leave Iraq but we can sure raise the price of oil and make everyone else pay for the presidents mistake, but hey what do I know i’m just a struggling American

Jack, the problem we have is reflected in your question. We need a comprehensive – even painful – national energy policy that looks way beyond a short-sighted five years.

Accident Maryland,
start drilling where they are holding off for enviromental reasons, do their own exploration and drilling in this country.

The current price of oil is being driven up more by speculation than consumption. Congress needs to step in and put the brakes on trading of vital commodities. They also need a serious investigation of oil company profits. It goes without saying we need an Apollo-style project devoted to energy independence. It should have begun in the 1970’s and must now start immediately.

If you listen to the politicians, wind is the answer. Funny, but I can’t seem to find all of those windmill powered cars they all seem to be promoting. Honesty from our elected officials would be a great first step. But I keep hearing them say that wind and solar will solve all of our problems…and I just growl at the TV. Our vehicles are the problem…too many and not efficient enough. No amount of wind or solar power is going to solve the problems we face with oil. We solve this with alternate fuels, higher mileage, and conservation…and it’s not really rocket science.

What they should have done 20-30 years ago and that is work on alternative sources for the many ways that energy is needed. We are way behind the times that is obvious. Our country is in for a very rude awakening at this point and I direct the blame at our govt who could pull this country into the 21 century and should have done that before the 21 century was already here. Before you know it we will have citizens dieing of either heat or cold and citizen not being able to get to work and businesses falling apart because of this crisis. Our schools no doubt are feeling the squeeze with school buses and with the housing crisis govt and states will be feeling the pinch with no one to pay personal property taxes. How many crisis do we need at this point? I’d say we have plenty and they better get going quickly

The obvious is what Europe started doing right after World War II. We should be putting huge sums into alternative energy i.e. nuclear, wind, sun. Put nothing into Ethanol. If it can’t exist without subsidy it shouldn’t exist. And most importantly fuel standards must be increased. Forty miles per gallon within five years.

M D in Atlanta:

In the US one of the simplist things we (the American people) could do is quit buying these hugh SUV’s and trucks. There was a time when trucks were for work.

Also, how is it that back in the 50’s and 60’s, when families were much, much larger than they are today, we somehow got along within a Navigator or an Escalade. They don’t dominate the highways (or block vision for that matter) in other countries.

That would be a small start and something we all could do. But what do I know. I’m just a regular old car driver…

Mandate solar panels on new homes.

Mandate business owners whom own commercial buildings to upgrade into solar energy buildings yearly; and 100% solar energy requirement by 36months.

Require deadlines for existing homeowners for yearly upgrades into solar energy.

Give 1 tax incentive to each homeowner with full government satisfaction of solar panel homes.

Overhaul the energy infrastructure into fuel free policies, and gas stations nationwide. Require gas stations for immediate or yearly upgrades due in 36months.

Require vehicle manufacturer’s dealers to sell a minimum of 80% fuel efficient (50mpg) vehicles at every dealer’s lot.

Tax auto dealers that stock and sell less than 80% of fuel efficient (50mpg) vehicles.

Give yearly tax incentives to those dealers that sell more than 90% of fuel efficient vehicles from total inventory.

Give tax incentive for purchasing a fuel efficient (50mpg) vehicle.

The shortage is just another trumped up excuse by the oil companies to continue raising prices. America needs to get out of the Stone Age, Europe and China have had magnetic train technology for decades, there cars are all more or fuel-efficient and there’s far more healthy people over there walking or riding bikes to get around.

The technology is out there to increase vehicle milage by a lot, but the manufacturers aren’t going to do more than pay lip service unless they are forced to. Require all small cars to increase mileage, mid sized to do the same, and luxury cars and all trucks to increase mileage. No more averaging mileage along the whole range! Move to wind, solar, and nuclear tech. Give tax rebates for conversion of homes to solar energy- netting a dual benefit- lower electric ills and rebates. Develop mass transit that is efficient!

Pray: for a “real” leader who gets it.

Two words Jack - start drilling! Just the fact that we are going to create more supply should get a lot of the speculation out of the oil market.

Remind me if I’m wrong , but didn’t we use to mine coal for
energy a long time ago?

Jerry
Roselle, Illinois

3 easy steps:

All vehicles driven must be free and clear of loans… paid for

All drivers must be legal US citizens

Drill our own oil, we have plenty

I doubt that many people drive more than 100 miles a day so producing a plugin electric car like an updated EV1 would make a huge dent in fuel consumption. I’m an urban driver and would pay a premium for such a car.

kind of makes you wonder why Detroit isn’t producing a plugin electric when the technology is available, doesn’t it? or why General Motors destroyed all the EV1’s they made for the California market?

We have tons of coal in this country. Converting shale to oil would provide jobs and energy. We have oil off our coasts. I’m against drilling in ANWAR in order to preserve our last vestige of frontier but if we need it, we need it. We have the technology and the intelligence to create oil out of chicken grease, garbage, etc. We just don’t do it and we’ve been talking about this since the 70s. Until we take profit out of it for our elected officials and their lobbyists, nothing’s going to change. Let’s start by putting the CEOs of the big profit-making oil companies in jail for price gouging and taxing the hell out of their profits. Make energy speculation illegal just like gambling is in many states. It’s time for a revolution in this country and time to be the innovative, honorable nation that America once was.

Jack, most important we should increase research into alternative fuels so that our dependence on oil is less. Second, we should insist that because of the troops and money we have spent in their region, Saudi Arabia and Iraq should give us oil at much lower prices if not free. It is time we stop begging those oil-supplying countries throughout the world who look to us for friendship and security.

I believe that the nation needs to reinvent the energy business. If oil company executives don’t wish to participate in this new model then their businesses will go the way of the buggy-whip industry. A new, major government initiative, a Manhattan Project styled program, that throws bucket-loads of money at a private sector eager to embrace the future will provide the nation with way out of this oil crunch. One thing is certain, hydrocarbons are the past. The oil executives should take a page from Big Tobacco and look their own deportment as their industry is about to sink beneath the weight of its own greed.

Jack…

We need more electric cars, with gasoline back-up used only for emergencie’s.

If that fails,….get a horse!

Gina
Reno
Nv.

Does anyone see a gas station w/a line of cars awating gas? NO.
Regulation is needed against those speculators filling their bellies at the expense of good decent people. This greed is 50% of the rise in Oil.
Joan B
Mn

Oil drilled in the USA needs to stay in the USA and not be sold overseas because the oil companies can make a larger profit.

Brent in Ohio

Did anyone tell you how missed you were yesterday?
I did I missed hearing you with the others after the primary.
I really think its too late to worry about our oil shortage by talking to the people of OPEC or EXXON or those people its time to take it to the public. HEMP NOW WILL CLEAN THE AIR AND GIVE US NEW RENEWAL ENGERY AND OTHER PRODUCTS ALREADY IN OTHER COUNTRIES. HENRY FORD MADE THE FIRST HEMP CAR BACK IN 1915 IF HE DID IT BACK THEN WE WOULD NOT BE IN THIS MESS

Jack
Lets stop the auto makers from producing these gas guzzlers, and educate the American public to purchase fuel efficient vehicles. Make the builders of single family dwellings use solar energy panels in their new construction. Lower the speed limit to 55mph. I could go on and on and so could you and everyone that writes in, is anyone in Washington D.C. listening ?

If we remove politics from the equation the solution is simple, increase supply, reduce demand or some combination of both. If all else fails, take the lids off the silos, fire up the ICBM’s, aim them at the middle east, and say, eenee, meanee, minee, moe please let me know if the OPEC cartel will stay or go?

Well, Jack;

Congress needs to mandate the auto-industry to produce more fuel-efficiant vehicles - as well as provide tax credits to those who do. THEN, America needs to follow the Brazillian’s lead by producing sustainable, renewable cellulosic ethanol (ie: switchgrass, hemp - once it’s legalized here in the US - , waste-biomass, etc. - NOT corn). This is do-able, but it WILL be painful in the beginning, but it IS do-able!
And, as said by others previously, install solar panels and wind turbines in every city, in every state - once they’ve been made affordable to the general public; ALSO, granting tax-rebates/incentives to the manufacturers AND the consumers.

It could work…IF we WANT it to!

Obama + Change in ‘08!

How about digging some wells,the usa has oil reserves but thanks to the democrats they are off limits;;

We should stop buying all oil from overseas, and not ship any oil overseas. Rely on Alaska, Texas, Oklahoma, and all off shore rigs. Start drilling, and tell the American public, and buisness to come up with a better energy source. At the same time any country that wants us to refine crude for them we get a percentage of the product { which we should all ready be getting}. Then raise the price of this service to help offset the cost of developing a new energy source.

First and most important, mandate higher MPG’s. Next, either make oil companies pay windfall profit tax, give up subsidies or make alternative fuels available at their filling stations. Then go to the farms that are subsidized and demand that they grow crops on the acreage they get subsidies for. Prohibit saying bad things about Chavez; we might need his oil. And, finally, hang a few commodities traders, stockbrokers and hedge fund managers just to send a message. If that doesn’t work, try rationing. Linda, Woodbury, NJ

Simple Jack.,

Congress passes the law that, like Brazil, mandates all new cars sold in the US to be flex-fuel (gasoline, methanol, alcohol and ethanol) cars starting now. That will spur the alcohol and methanol industries. These products can be made from anything and that is something the US has plenty of. Refineries for these products are relatively inexpensive to build. This will create the 1st real competition for oil. Right now there is none. If there are cars to use the product, the product will be made and the pumps will be installed. Any politician that can’t see this wisdom does not deserve to be in office.

America and its allies won WWII because the Allies controlled the world oil supply. Right now, the world oil suppliers are controlling America. If we continue to have just one fuel source, oil, who do YOU think will win?

we should keep iraq.we paid for it.

It’s a little late to start now but this country should be pursuing every available source of alternative energy with the goal of being completely independent from oil. If there were the will to invest the money, there are the innovators and there is the technology to succeed. I don’t predict that our politicians will cut the oil umbilical cord anytime soon but it could certainly be done.

It’s time to elect a charasmatic, visionary leader to reduce our dependence on oil within the next five to ten years. We must do this to survive . . . and prosper.

Four decades ago, a young American president challenged this country to go the moon within the 1960’s. President Kennedy said, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”

Despite what so many seem to say we have got to get away from oil. It is not going to get better no matter how much is drilled and where the oil comes from. There is going to be a point when the wells go dry; then what? We need to invest heavily in alternative energy sources and stop producing vehicles that are V8, v10s and up. No one NEEDS a high performance vehicle. Business people do not need to fly all the time. Computers can do wonders. People need to change their life styles…and get a grip.

oh the joys of suburban living ! Where are the public transport again? Trains, buses ? This country was build for individual cars, it will come to a halt because of that.

Dig out the hitching posts and have the city install them again. Buy a horse and treat it well. Allow more time communting. Start working your city council to repeal any laws on the books against having a horse in your backyard. Get to know a farmer with hay.

I don’t have a clue as to what to do about the oil shortage, but i do know what I would never do, and that is to let the oil industry figure it out, been there, done that…

We should make our kids pay for their gas, I’ve heard this: They’re not going to stop me from driving my (SUV) they jump in their car, and away they go, Like they did a big deal.

Short term: stop making it so hard to license nuclear power plants and grant major tax breaks for installing solar and wind technology. long term; A manhatan project for energy independence that looks at nuclear fusion, ocean current and tidal energy, and ethanol from algae. Anything that might work should be tried. If attaching methane collectors to cows’ butts works, do that too!

In the short run, tax the bejesus out of oil and gas guzzlers to encourage conservation. In the long run, tax breaks for those that do things which lower our dependence on foreign oil.

Ray Kinserlow
Lubbock, Texas

Americans need to postpone vacations for a year or two, people joy-riding need to stay off the streets, people need to plan ahead and do all the errands in one trip out, and carpool when possible. This will help short term and for the long term, alternative fuels must become a reality. Hydrogen fuel cells can become a reality if we get the oil companies out of the way. Remember necessity is still the mother of invention and with $133/barrel of oil, necessity just spoke up.

Clinton has every right to stay in.I hope she does.You just can’t stand it.

Jack,

I’ve already invested heavily in “nike” and I strongly urge you to as well before the stock price goes up.
Other ideas, like they use in the Carribbean, add rum to the Vespa gas tank. It’s cheaper and there’s no shortage!

Jack, reduce usage by using more fuel efficient cars and trucks. More regulations to force auto manufacturers to make faster changes in fuel efficiency and conversion to other fuels. Hydrogen is probably best alternative for fuel in long term but hybred vehicles for short term while conversion takes place. Solar energy for homes is best alternative. Wind energy to generate electricity will help in some areas of the country. Some nuclear energy will have to be used also.

Actually solutions are needed Jack. Hydrogen won’t work (it’s not a source of energy, it’s a way to store energy from other sources like petroleum). ‘Clean’ Coal is an oxymoron if I’ve ever heard one, and natural gas is going to run out just after oil.

We need to cut back usage immediately, create energy friendly homes and invest in alternate sources that will actually do something, things like solar, wind, and nuclear power.

The only obstacle is oil companies stubbornly refusing to adopt new techniques. It’s a lot easier for exxon-mobil to control oil than it is to control the sun.

Investigate the Future Stock Holders that are bidding the prices up and if it turns out to be the oil companies, have the justice department sue them out of business. Remember, It was Congress that allowed all the oil companies to merge over the years so that there is no competition today.

jim, Michigan

First off elect a democrat for president. We have already wasted eight years with oil men republicans.

Next look at alternative energy sources: solar, wind and others.

Encourage conservation through energy efficiency, public transportation.

We have to change our life styles. This is too important to take lightly. There is not enough oil left on earth to support us all.

We are NOT short of oil in This country. But we have to many enviromentilists and the oil companies make to much money importing forgein and then exporting what we have. And it will not take 20 yrs to get oil out of ANWAR. Most of the pipeline is already laid.. Then no one wants to touch on all the oil we have in the lower 48. They keep saying no way don’t let the people know,. They don’t want to build any refineries either,. Just hang on to their money. It is time to raise the price of grain to the middle east to 130 a BU.

I live in Windsor, Ontario , Canada. Across the river from Detroit. Canada has the second largest oil field (Tar Sands) in the world. It is more expensive to extract the oil than Saudi Arabia. However we supply the United States with 30 percent of their oil. As of today we are paying $4.90 a US gallon. So this talk about drilling and finding more oil will bring down prices is a big joke.

This is the question of our time, isn’t it? It’s a shame we’re so late thinking about perhaps maybe considering the question. Probably the best we can do now is becoming collecitvely aware that it doesn’t take a four ton steel machine blowing cold air, moving 80 feet per second, spewing beautiful music as the driver chats on the cell phone to haul a typical overfed, overpaid, overweight, over-expectant single carcass to the ice cream store. If we can do this, maybe we can buy some time to find alternatives that might, MIGHT, allow most of us to survive….that is, if we don’t continue to overpopulate the country with still more typical overfed and expectant carcasses.

Jack, there’s not much we can do. And even if there was, nothing would happen. The Saudi’s, the Russians, the Venezuelans, ect. will not increase output, not because they cant, but because they don’t want to. Keeping production at the same will simply drive the prices up, therefore driving profits up. The higher demand and the less availability will continue to drive prices up. And the oil companies don’t care because they also make record profits at the expense of the American people. So, in short, there is a shrinking light at the end of the tunnel.

Others in this blog have listed several workable alternatives: more public transportation, drilling in Alaska, alternative fuels such as ethanol and butanol, and investment into research to develop cheaper and more efficient photovoltaic celss.

The problem isn’t that there aren’t solutions out there; the problem is an utter lack of political will.

1. Stop electing oil-men to office. Elect politicians who understand “We, the people” does not mean “We, big business” when it comes to making decisions affecting our nation and our lives.

2. We, the people, need to start acting more responsibly with the natural resources rather than thinking we can do as we please and everything will just fall into place perfectly for us.

Why doesn’t Hillary get out of the race? It’s all abouot power and Bill is as much a part of it as she is. She refuses to believe she is a loser.

Omar Baumann
Houston, Tx.

There should be a cap on oil profits. After a certain percentage, profits should be filtered back into the pockets of Amercians so prices can go down.

Pull a reverse Bush. To combat the FLDS sect, we need to invade and occupy Saudi Arabia, the Emerits and Venezuela, of course. 100 years occupation or so should lower oil prices, Suck them dry of oil and make the world safe for Halliburton.

The US should stop complaining! I’m actually happy that oil prices are going up and I can barely afford gas. If gas was still at $1 per gallon there would be no incentive for anyone to start researching alternatives. Oil will not last forever, current US reserves wont last much longer than a decade. Asking other countries to increase production is asking them to run out of oil faster!

John from San Francisco.

I lived in Switzerland for sometime and soon realized they know how to conserve in Europe. Here a real easy way to address the issue; Tie the cost of Automobile Lisence Renewal to the cubic size of the vehicles engine. Greater Displacement = Greater Polluter/Gas Guzzler.

Also,..we need to ask ourselves do we really need V8, V10 and V12 enngines for normal passenger vehicles? If you properly tune a V6 there is more than enough power there.

People who drive a vehicle 1800cc or less should get free lisence renewal!

Oil is not just a part of our life, it is part of this Nations National Security and Economy. As long as it is run by executives making billions, the average American will suffer.

I think to protect our Country, we must Nationalize the Oil Companies just like Chavez did. Goes against every concept of Capitalism, but when a Nation is at state - which is more important, Profits or People?

3 keywords here Jack-
lifestyle, lifestyle and lifestyle

Unless we Americans get a handle on our gluttony, the other solutions are just band-aids

Geothermal may be a partial answer. The earth is hot beneath our feet. The Mohorovicic Discontinuity is deep, but not that deep, and not beyond our capacity to drill to it. Earth-born heat might be enough to turn the big wheels of our living standards once we adapt….at least until (and if) we figure something else out. The era of burning petroleum is ending. We did a wonderful job of exporting industry such that we now must compete for energy on global markets. Now it’s time for innovation. This will require leadership which, with any luck, we will have in a little over a year from now. Meanwhile, we’ll have to answer the hard questions of population control.

What a crazy question! We got an oil man in office making all of his oil buddies rich. “Should” has no relavance until little George leaves, because nothing has a chance of changing until then. Exxon is still posting record profits every quarter? They might as well break down my door, pick up my piggy bank off the dresser, slap me in the face , kick my dog and walk out of my house with a big smile on their faces.

Conservation and green incentives.
There should be incentives for individuals and businesses.

Boise, ID

We need to get off of oil of course. And we need to look into the Gopher Plant (a desert high oil plant) and other plants that don’t take up acreage needed for planting food. But bio-fuel alone won’t do it. We need to learn how to get from one place to another without polluting the planet. This year, the Democrats are finally looking at some solutions. What a refreshing change!

1.Tax windfall profits on oil companies or allow them to reinvest those same profits into alternative fuel technology.
2. Reduce speed limits and keep the gas tax on personal transportation but give the cargo transport industry a break on fuel tax or even subsidize their fuel to keep inflation at bay from higher transportations costs.
3. Reduce speed limits for cars, thereby increasing gas mileage, but allow trucks to travel at current speed levels to keep the flow of products uninterrupted.

4. Tax, at purchase, low mileage non-commercial trucks, suvs, and low mpg luxury cars. At the same time subsidize buyers of high mpg hybrid vehicles.

5. Give investors a tax incentive for investing in companies that produce alternative fuels or technologies.

5. Turn off unneeded lights at home and commercially. Consolidate shopping trips, insulate your home.

Unless we do these things as a nation, or as a world community, they carry very little weight.

Jack,
The answer is simple and straight forward. Brazil has already done what we need to do now. It took them 30 years but they are now totally independent of foreign oil. They create ethanol from sugar cane. We made the mistake of going with corn instead of sugar cane. Why did we try to reinvent a new solution when Brazil already solved the problem. Sugar cane gives 7 times the amount of ethanol per acre than corn.
We should quickly go to Brazil and copy their processes. Then Congress needs to force the oil companies to have ethanol pumps at all gas statioms. They currently only have ethanol pumps at 1% of USA gas stations. We need to do it yesterday.

Art
Cartersville GA

First of all, give up the illusion we can solve this overnight. Answers to this problem are at minimum 15 years away.

I hope that all those who voted for the “Great Communicator”, the “Father of the Idiot”, the “Arkansas Philanderer” and “His Honor, the Idiot in Charge” finally realize that , like health care, Social Security, and bin Laden, the issues have been there for 20 years, and nobody did anything.

These are solvable problems; MOST problems are solvable. Just not by the structure we have in place.

the shameful thing about this is that a country like Brazil learned from the shortages of the 70s while this country failed to act appropriately. and to think, the US is the country that had more resources to actually address the issue. maybe this time this country will figure out that investments in alternative fuels and energy sources, beefing up and improving public transportation, and changing this culture which is addicted to gas will be the only way out. there is no one magic bullet to this problem, but a combination of all the technologies available to us now will help bring us closer to an overall solution. failure to act responsibly to this issue at this time will have dire consequences.

At one time in America there were things called passenger trains. They went to every city in the U.S. that had a railroad track and ran up to several times a day. You could travel anywhere in comfort and safety with no hassle except having to change trains. Train travel was such a pleasure and so much fun. It’s too bad that the railroads decided that they only wanted to move freight and paid the government to get rid of passenger trains and create Amtrak. Now you can’t get anywhere without a hassle. Who says progress is good.

Take all of those renewable energy patents being hoarded by the big rich companies and force them to be released to the consumer. Their are plenty of good plans and ideas out there to make the US independent of foreign oil but they are being blocked through the US patent and trademark office. Our own government is helping these rich companies prevent new technology from being developed so that we are forced to use oil. We have nanotechnology and supercomputers that can fit in people’s pockets but our automobiles, homes, and everything else that requires energy have remained stagnant for the last 40 plus years. Why? Because their are superpowers working with our own US government to prevent these new technologies from getting to the market.

Face it, we can’t do anything until the oil barons are out of the White House. Remember BUSH = OIL. After that we need to speed up the mileage requirements on vehicles, cut back to 55 MPH and enforce it and start replacing oil powered devices with alternate fuels and wind power. It can be done, but corporate American isn’t going to do anything until it hits their bottom line. Take the profit out of the status quo.

I’ve said it many times over, and I’ll say it again. Start with diplomacy. You can throw any variety of tactics at solving the problem of demand locally, but internationally demand will never cease. As a result, coming to an understanding with the gatekeepers of Big Oil that supply (and its price) should be levied against the oncoming demand should be our top priority.

Jack with all of the present technology advances I would say get rid of the need for oil completely. Only when that happens will we be free of big oils thumbs on our backs and in our wallets. I just recently watched a news program that showed a gentleman (John Kansas) in Akron Ohio (SaltwaterFuel.mov) who has invented a way to burn “salt water” and has even developed a working engine to power our energy needs. Give some incentives to inventors in this country and I bet they will come through as they always have.

Roy
Olympia, WA

Jack i’m going on LONG on Oil futures, moving closer to work, and buying a hybrid.

I remember in 1973 waiting in hour long lines at gas stations to get gas that was 35 years ago so obviously we need to do something very different. Why not build several huge nuclear plants in the heart of Alaska what we did in 1973 is we built the oil pipeline in Alaska it didn’t work. In our major cities why not try to build elevated walkways with bicyle lanes,running lanes,and etc. as long as nothing is motorized except for security. We heat where it’s cold and air condition where it’s hot. We solve our overweight problem and energy problem at the same time.

Raise the capital gains tax on trading oil to between 60% and 80%. All the money will flow out of oil immediatly and the price will collapse.

As oil and gas become more unaffordable, there will be more carpooling, more heavy flannel pajamas sold each winter. more fireplace equipment sold etc. Then there will be less consumption and unless China and India buy all the excess, the price will come down. What shocks me is that the government has done so little to encourage this with programs like public transportation subsidies I guess it’s a sin for a Texas oilman to talk conservation!

The price of gas should probably be driven up in order to cut down on consumption and to force the automakers to come up with better ideas for fuel efficient autos. And using the excess profits (from gas prices being artificially higher) to come up with alternative energy ideas. There’s nothing that we as Americans cant do when our backs are against the wall. Didnt JFK teach us anything?

Hey Jack. America has to upgrade and renevate its horrible mass -transit system. America is way behind europe and asia in these areas we need high speed rail systems. We also need to shift to bio waste fuel systems. increase our Mpg standards in the Automotive Industry. Also when gas hits $7or $8 a gallon you will see a migration from rural/ suburban ares back to the inner cities if i was an investing firm i would invest in the rehabilitation of inner cities because this will be the place to live soon.

get exxon/mobil to invest in alternative technology- i mean if they do not want to give up oil then at least help make machines that will use a lot less oil, the oil company’s need to lobby congress to up the emission standards and to put even more pressure on car companies and give car companies grants to develop better and better cars. exxon is the biggest company and invests the least in alternative energy research.

Jack, Dick Cheney and his crownies must be taken out of government, before any help, with oil prices can be obtained. After that, we need a “Marshall Plan” to develope meaningful nuclear, solar and wind power, as well as, any other technologies. Americans must begin to carpool or take mass transit. Jack, have you noticed that the carpool lanes are mostly empty. We need to be able to plug our cars in and go.

To ward off oil shortages and higher prices for oil related products this country needs to switch to electric powered cars in a fast way. During this time there should also be major efforts to generate electricity from renewable resources such as wind and solar. I don’t wish to go from $8.00 per gallon of gas to $8.00 per kilowatt to plug in the car.

Jack,
I think everyone should give up driving for a month. Go back to the old wooden stoves for heat.

They should pray Jack, we are all going to need it.

Jack; It is a very simple legal action! Yes sue the cartels for price fixing of crude oil and sue President Bush and Cheney for collaboration with partners of the cartels(International Oil Companies). Sure avoid impeachment actions by putting money in the pockets of the United States Citizens with litigation grandstanded by government monopoly of energy policy.

What they should do is not be swept up in panic. They simply can not drill in Alaska. We must invest and invest BIG TIME in other resources. Whatever their decision may be it must not be driven by fear and panic. Taking action now would help us avoid those decisions.

Here are my thougths on this:

Prevention:
1. Increase car pooling
2. Technology is there and build and boost car averages to 30-35mpg, average gas mileage presently is 18 mpg will cut oil consumption on the vehicles in half.
3. Turn down gas water heaters to med/low instead of hot just wastes energy to maintain temp while you are at work.
4. Turn off all lights when not using
5. Plan your market trips
6. Use less styrofoam stuff (made from petroleum)
7. Turn AC down
8. Make it easier to use mass transit
9. Tell Big Oil that tables have turned

The prevention steps will cut our consumption instantly and will take pressure off from the demand side. We have to make life style adjustments, need to revisit the idea of more is good and get off the consumption binge and everything is disposable idea.

I am as American as you are sir and before you wrap yourself in the flag and say lets drill everywhere listen to this: We are roughly 5% of the world’s population and we produce more than 25% of the garbage waste.

Production side:
1. Government (serious) investment needed in new technologies like solar, wind, geo-thermal, hydrogen etc.
2. Work with other countries to help them reduce their consumption
3. Invest in green buildings

No quick fixes we should have done the surgery long time ago but now the pancreas is shot and can’t do without insulin. Gonna need a transplant or dire consequences.

Hi Jack,

Reduce consumption!!!

It’s funny the states is now paying the same price the rest of us in the world are paying at the pump… in some cases less…

Stop buying gaz guzzlers.. invest in public transportation…. you know what the rest of the world is doing…

Hope it goes up even more so you start to reducing consumption and therefore reduce your CO2s,,,

Hasn’t Brazil done it already…just get with them and start planting the heck out of suger cane!!!!!!!!!

Forget drilling! It will take us 10-20 years to get those fields online and the amount of oil in Alaska would last us one day at the current demands.

1) Conserve! The effect is immediate! Bike, walk, mass transportation, car pool or don’t go. We could cut our consumption by half.

2) Put a $1/gallon federal tax on gas. Use the money for mass transportation.

3) Subsidize solar and wind power for individuals.

4) Work on other long-range alternatives.

Bush really dropped the ball on this. Instead of invading Iraq we could have taken these measures and not have to import from the Middle East.

Roger

Nationalize Oil Companies American assets would be a good start, don’t you think?

Jack, placing blame will solve nothing. There are no quick fixes. No easy answers. We must make changes. We must drill in the US for oil.
We must reduce our dependency on foreign oil. For the whole time we have had the oil moratorium in place, we have proved that we will import what ever it takes to satisfy our oil needs. We use 21 million barrels a day and produce 5 million. Oil production is down. We are going in the wrong direction.
We must reduce our trade deficit. For every 1 million barrels we do not import we will not send $133 million to another country. Over $2 billion every day. If Bill Clinton had not vetoed the bill to drill in ANWAR, we would be taking about 1 million barrels out every day.

Get off fossil fuels. There are so many other alternatives out there.

I seriously doubt, however, that anything will gain real traction until Jan. 2009.

Jack,

Unfortunately there is little we can do in five years.

The next President should immediately appoint a blue ribbon panel of real experts who have the desire and the qualifications to come up with a plan to deal with the problem.

Bush recognized the problem. His solution was a farce. He tasked Dick Cheney to head up a special panel to solve it. Cheney chose representatives of big oil to be the membersof the panel and then managed to keep the public from knowing anything about the panel or its deliberations.

This was like putting AlCapone in charge of a crime commission made up of members of the Mafia.

Bob Fleming
Louisville, Ky

Shades of Teapot Dome. It’s a cinch that we cannot trust the Oil Cartel (our own) to do anything in the interest of the country. We need to rein in all Corporate Control of our resources. They have more that demonstrated that they would sell their Grandmother twice for profit. Over the long run oil pricing that approaches European levels would at least make a few of us choose between the Ego inflation of a Hummer or a Ram Truck and something practical. May even help with traffic problems. Could keep the keys from the teens and college crowd and make the highways safer. End the three car family. Not until it begins to affect us deeply will wise solutions follow. Maybe we should begin talking about how the Ruskies are gapping us on oil usage. “Two cars in every garage fills the pockets of Bin Laden”. We survived worse.

As JF Kennedy gave the nation focus with a race to the moon, our next president needs to ask the American people to make sacrifices

Start insisting that the oil rich countries that depended on the U.S. for defense, technology and skilled labor in the oil fields start repaying their debt with lower priced crude oil.

The biggest thing Jack, is alternative fuel sources. Ethanol is something that can change this country over the next five years. We can look at Brazil, a country completly off oil and dependent on ethanol. Even California is moving to Ethanol, and that is a state with one of the biggest economys in the world. If we subsidize corn (used to make ethanol) we can drastically reduce enviormental problems, and solve our problems with oil dependence. Ethanol is way to go in solving this problem.

Michael
Phoenix, Arizona

Hi! Jack:

To those who are vowing to vote for McCain if their candidate doesn’t win, check this scenario:
McCain wins, steps down in second year due to illness, younger Vice President takes the reigns and we’re on to more of the past 8 years. Morons!!

the only realistic thing that we can do to address the shortage. is to drill here in our own country. we have vast amounts that remain untapped. we cannot wait for the development of alternative resourses. We need to drill in our own back yard and do it now. the technology is there which alows drillers to get to the oil without disturbing pristeen surroundings. or so we have been told.
a very close relative of mine. has said that, “slant drilling has been around for at least 20 years”.

Hello Jack. Not sure what the oil answer is, but I’d bet a pretty penny that there’s a bunch more close at hand than we ordinary putze’s are aware of. At this time in our history its next to impossible to believe so-called “authorities” in any area related to the flow of cash. On another note, what would the price of a barrel be if the windfall profits of the oil companies and the larcenous profits of the futures buyers were eliminated from the cost? The math shouldn’t be too hard for you folks at CNN!

Bruce in Bend OR

Start an immediate investigation as to who on Wall Street is being paid off by the Bush Administration to keep running the price of oil up on the stock exchange. Or better yet get oil off the trading market and buy direct for a stated price from the oil nations. Part of the problems is also if Bush gets the price of oil so high, congress will bend and will let drilling be done anywhere Bush wants.!!!

Simple, the government should buy everyone a horse.

maybe we should refuse to sell food to the opec countries until they drop the price of oil to $50 per barrel or less.

Realize that this is not the oil companies fault. They are supplying a product, just like any other corporation. The members of OPEC are the bastards setting the prices, so why don’t we drill for the oil in the U.S. that we KNOW is there. Why don’t we stop buying oil from the people who hate us? The hippies are the ones bitching about the high prices of oil, but won’t let us drill. Most oil companies are operating at full capacity, but do not have enough people to support more exploration than is currently underway. There are also not enough rigs. I have been to the area of ANWR where they want to drill. It is not the picturesque landscaps that the idiots at sierra club show. Search for pictures of Prudhoe Bay, and that is exactly what the North Slope looks like. Feed the tree huggers to the whales and let’s get to drillin’.

Stop the war in Iraq and put those resources into stockpiling supplies and developing alternative fuel sources. Or just get a horse!

The American People need to do something that is easier said than done: Conserv and cut back.

Jack,
That easy, I can’t believe ya