While the contention that we won't see an immediate impact out of drilling more wells and building more refinery capacity has a lot of validity, if we don't start RIGHT NOW to address this catastrophe, we could very well be in a world of doodoo that can destroy any possibility to maintain the lifestyle we have all come to expect.
EVERYTHING ... EVERYTHING ... EVERYTHING, IS NOW DEPENDENT UPON ENERGY AND FUEL.
Whether you are talking about services or durable goods, without energy or fuel, these goods and services would soon disappear.
With us being in an election year, most of what GW is doing (since he is a lame duck President), is politically motivated. Lifting the President's ban of exploration/drilling on the Continental Shelf is a starting point to partially soften the impact of spiralling crude oil prices - however - even the President's own party (Republicans), haven't taken steps to lift Congress'/Senate's ban. GW urged them to do so earlier this year and promised to tailor his ban lift to the package that Congress and the Senate passed. Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans had done anything to even get the "question" to the floor for discussion or debate.
Whether the President's action will force the issue or not, it should ratchet up the view by many Americans, that government has NOT done enough to address the spiralling cost increases ALL Americans are facing at the pumps and on their heating and electrical bills.
While increasing our own ability to increase available crude is a start, ultimately, we are going to have to find cheap alternates for fuel and energy if we wish to continue our march to a prosperous American Dream for all Americans. Without energy or fuel, our way of life and our lifestyles will go the way of the Roman Empire (America as a third world country anyone?????????). |