I agree that gas prices will top out and likely drop, but gas will not be cheap again. Just where it levels off is the question. As you note, other sources will come online since there is plenty of opportunity for profits. And competition between sellers of oil will affect price, too. The wild card is China and India increasing the use of personal cars. Because this drives demand, it will impact oil/fuel prices. And while there is lots of oil left to be tapped, much of it is more costly to extract, a cost that we'll ultimately see at the pump. Cheap oil is gone for good, and whether one chooses to pay for the dubious privilege of driving a gas guzzler or goes real "green" and bikes and drives an electric car is an individual choice.

Then there are non-transportation issues like heating one's home, which is a big deal for a whole lot of people. I paid about $4K to heat my house this past winter, up from about $1K five years ago. I can deal with it, but many can't, and when you combine those costs with gas prices and the hike in prices of food and other consumer products due to transportation, there is a real problem that none of the yo-yos we have in Washington are doing anything to address.

I don't think of this stuff just in terms of cars, but in the bigger picture of how energy independent the U.S. can become and whether we can develop more sustainable lifestyles. While I think it is important for the country to rely primarily on its own resources, it isn't likely to happen because there is no political will to do so. The U.S. has no real energy policy and there have been no refineries built in 30 years. This probably needs to change.

The U.S. is a hole it has dug all by itself, and the First Rule of Holes is when you're in one, stop digging.

• What are your 10 year predictions on oil/cars/society?, Caarma , Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:42:19
  • $2.95, ursaw, Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:29:02
    • Link fixed! Here it is..., Scott Paterson , Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:03:12
  • My thoughts, cfishgo, Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:19:22
    • Re: My thoughts, Noel, Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:17:27 <-- Viewing This Message
  • Abandoning Suburbs - RANT - Long, Gargoyle, Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:45:55
    • Re: Abandoning Suburbs - impossible by some gov't, samk, Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:13:40
  • Great thoughts, some more random ones, Caarma , Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:22:34
    • Re: Great thoughts, some more random ones, Noel, Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:16:55
      • I am unwilling to change, CBraxton, Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:19:41
        • OK, but how do we overcome the politics?, Noel, Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:22:11
          • Make it expensive not to improve, BrianG, Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:03:13
            • The EU is looking at instituting an emissions tax, Noel, Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:05:08
              • Re: The EU is looking at instituting an emissions tax, cfishgo, Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:42:50
  • 10 years? How about the next 3?, Railhead , Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:27:01
    • Additional info., Railhead , Wed, 11 Jun 2008 01:28:56
  • A wonderful thread! First thoughts...., Noel, Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:12:18
    • I tried your steering advice and it worked., JohnA , Wed, 18 Jun 2008 07:40:43
  • A Combination of Things, OKSaabs, Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:03:48
  • I think we will just adjust..., Paul H., Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:18:39
    • A shift back to cities, Mike NY, Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:59:31
    • Re: I think we will just adjust..., Rod , Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:35:38
      • Re: I think we will just adjust..., oldsaab, Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:42:42
  • Re: What are your 10 year predictions on oil/cars/socie, rob 94 aero, Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:11:48
    • Re: What are your 10 year predictions on oil/cars/socie, Brian C, Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:25:44

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