[Moneyguy1]

I agree.

Here in the Southwest, people are spread out all over and the pickup/SUV is king. People clamor for more roads, and vote down any idea of mass transit. Gas here is usually a bit higher than the national average and folks park their fat butts(usually one person per vehicle) in their 5,000 pound diesels and crowd streets that are already six lanes wide. In some northeastern cities, inner areas are now being revitalized and "gentrified" as a result of increasing travel time and associated costs. On the left coast, with their "horse properties of 1 to 5 acres 30 miles or more from City centers, the problem will be a bit more difficult to solve.

I would, in a heartbeat, drive an electric car. The abundant sunshine out here means that I could, with no cost to the fossil fuel supply charge the sucker up with roof mounted solar panels. It can be done, but it would take the same committment as was shown in the "smoking is evil and only self destructive slobs do it" program. Remember when "four out of five Doctors recommend Camels" Look at old copies of "Life" magazine from the fifties and sixties and see the number of ads for cigarettes touted by professional, doctors and the like. Not so long ago in absolute terms, less than a half a century. It takes a while to change a society's opinions. We need to strat yesterday.

I believe that the oil/gas industry as well as the automobile manufacturers have led us down this dependency path and are still doing it.

I also believe that our federal government has done little to end this, despite the EPA which only puts band aids on bullet wounds. The answer, according to the White House is digging in Alaska? and how long will that supply last? Where is the equivalent of a Manhattan Project do develop an alternaive to the internal combustion engine? Where is the imagination?

Not too long ago, on TV they had a challenge between an electric sports car and a Dodge Viper. The electric car won the sprint. Viper would have caught it over a longer distance, but that little electric car SMOKED through the traps!! Built by a small private company. What could a concerted effort come up with if the funds and encouragement were there?

Wayne, I humbly add my rant to yours.