We really have done this to ourselves (high oil prices) and it is affecting our entire economy now, in the way of higher prices for everything including food. I saw on the news last night how even food banks are running out of food, donations are down, and folks from the middle-upper middle classes are showing up at the food banks requesting food.

Our country tried to finance a war on credit while simultaneously providing tax cuts. Lowering the interest rate to stimulate growth caused the dollar's value to plunge and speculators stepped in bidding on commodities (oil) and the price skyrocketed.

Here's a recent press release from OPEC. The high oil price has nothing to do with supply. According to OPEC, they are producing the same amount. Even though developing countries like China are using more oil, supplies continue to be plentiful. The U.S. has manipulated their own market economy so much and the end result is higher prices for everything.

OPEC - MAY 8TH

ah let me see here,...... we ain't got no plan.

I suspect that as oil continues its gravity defying ascent we might see other sources such as oil shale and tar sands. But it will not be cheap.

As Carbon says, solar might be one answer.
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Clarification: My first comment on the US energy plan was a summary of what has actually been accomplished up until now.

Biofuels from food products, or from sources that were converted away from food production, are a bad idea. Already, food costs and availability have been adversely affected, and the net gain in energy is little.

Coal is a filthy fuel. "Clean coal" technology is still filthy. Mining coal degradates the environment when it is done carefully, and destroys it when given a chance. Take a good look at the "mountain-top mining" that is now being done.

Oil from tar sands/shale consumes vast quantities of fresh water, another resource that we cannot afford to lose.

Nuclear is being discussed again. I lived a few miles away from the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor when it had it's partial meltdown. That is one hell of a way to boil water, and no one has come up with a way safely dispose of the waste. How do you make a warning sign that lasts 10,000 years?

Wind, tide energy, and geothermal, all have their contribution to make.

Solar. The energy equivilant of one hour of sunshine reaching the earth is equal to all of the world's energy consummed in a year.
Right now, two solar plants are being developed in the California desert that will produce 250 and 300 MW of power (the functioning reactor at Three Mile Island produces 857 MW). These two plants will consume NOTHING, produce NO polution, and are taking up 0 sf of ariable land. Vote Solar.

Yep, I can't wait for my electric car. No more oil or spark plug changes, looking for vacuum leaks, etc!!! Batteries might be another story though.

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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.

So you’re against coal claiming its filthy, clean coal is still filthy, you’re against mining coal and you’re down on oil from shale too, huh? Now let’s see… what do all of those have in common? Are we striking a little too close to home CARBONunit52?

I am for the more elegant use of carbon, such as the sugars in ice cream.

If we put enough pressure on you then you can be diamondunit52.

I yam what I yam....Popeye

to diamondunit52. Who said heat and pressure were bad for you?

Do you suppose Mexico would build several atomic power generators in Mexico and sell the juice to us via a big line into Texas or somewhere?

They could pretty much skip the safety features as long as the wind was blowing south. Might be cheap.

Everyone seems to be against coal as being too dirty to make power. West Virginia hasn't got a thing against coal. In fact they call it "King Coal."
They will mine all we want and build the coal-fired plants to convert it if OSHA and EPA will not stray across the state lines.
I know they will because they used to have creeks and rivers in West Virginia that were as black as coal from washing the coal. One could burn the rivers in a hot fire.

Smelled like sulphur also.

Let em have at it!