[Halm]

We have a Long Term issue and we have a Short Term issue. They may or may not have compatible answers. Here is my 2 cents worth.
If we total up the untapped, known oil fields like Alaska, off-shore, and the Bakken Formation in North Dakota, we have enough oil to substitute for imported oil for over 100 years (at the current rate). It is also known that we don’t have enough refining capacity. And of course, there is the gross underutilization of nuclear and coal. Put in place a policy that encourages drilling in these locations, building/adding refineries, and issuing licenses/permits for nuclear/coal power facilities and watch how fast OPEC increases production and drops the price of oil to under $90/barrel (the price that makes the Dakota fields profitable.

And I am not suggesting we abandon good stewardship of the environment. But these sources can be tapped and the environment maintained. We just have to put a little common sense to it. . . Something clearly missing in Washington, DC.


Now that we have bought ourselves 75-100 years to develop a real alternative to oil, we need a viable Long Term Strategy. What is it? I don’t have a clue. Anything based on electricity will require power from some source, that is where nuclear and coal come in. So maybe better battery technology? Wind, and ethanol IMHO clearly aren’t the answers. Maybe solar? At least we are not stressing the power grid with solar.