Drill, Baby, Drill

No matter who's guess as to how much oil remains in the earth, it is being extracted and burned up at unprecedented rates today and growing.

The fact that it took trillions of years to produce whatever amount is left makes it clear that it will not be replaced at any level--easy or difficult--for those that follow us when it does become scarce.

Continuing to burn it up is the point that we can do something about.

HillbillyBill of TN 7:48AM September 19, 2008

There is no such thing as Oil Addiction! It's like saying we are addicted to oxygen! The earth will never run out of oil! Not for many hundreds of years. Yes, easy oil gets used up first. But new technologies are ever expanding for the hard stuff. Everything that ever lived, forests, Dinasours, fish, all animals etc, in time, all become oil, gas or coal. Nobody knows how much oil is on the US Mainland. That's becuse our oil industry threw in the towel and quit eploring since the 70's. Excessive regulations made the permitting process too expensive and time consuming. (So they just bought the oil from other countries.) Now our economy is sufferig with lost discretionary incomes becuse all the middle class's money is spent on energy. Cheap energy is what revitalized the bankrupt south in the 30's (TVA). Without it...we will witness a massive reduction of our standard of living. No air conditioning, very expensive food, and lots of sweaters (with holes in them, as new would be only for the rich). But used to keep warm in your unheated home. And lots of unemployment. THAT IS HOW MOST OF THE WORLD LIVES!

Energy consumption defines ones standard of living. Rich people use much more energy than the poor. Here, Americans fly to far cities to watch a football game or play a round of golf. The fashion industry obsoletes clothing every season. Do you have any idea how much energy is used to make designer jeans? First the cotton growing, then the textile machinery, then the design and manufacturing then the shipping then the retailing and then..it's thrown away the next year because it's out of style.

All countries of the world are frantically drilling for oil; except here! Think of the trade imbalance! Think of the mainland jobs.

Cheap gas drives business. Cheap gas had created the Mobile American. America is criticized but remains the worlds envy. The malls, MacDonald's,the movies, Holiday Inn and Disneyland were all born here...in the US. Nowhere else has the middle class enjoyed so much prosperity. Besides, in time alternatives will evolve. But meanwhile...there is nothing in BTU content that compares to a gallon of gas. Not today! And unlikely in the near future.

Hydrogen has been a dream for too long. Production and distribution problems are overwhelming. Yes, bio-diesel could work but nothing can be produced as cost effectively as gasoline from oil. Don't be ashamed that we use 25% of worlds oil. That's why we have and enjoy such a high standard of living. Gasoline in Europe at $10 per gallon is only available to the rich. Driving oil out of our lives will take the car away from the middle class. LET'S BE CAREFUL NOT TO THROW OUT THE BABY WITH THE BATHWATER!

Burt Trattner of NJ 9:47PM September 18, 2008