Gas Prices

We've all heard that the cost of barrels of crude oil is going up...again. I paid $1.999 this week. Not too bad compared to other parts of the country. I figure the next fill will be over $2.00 per gallon.

It's time to get over this PC attitude about not drilling in ANWAR. According to Boortz, the area being talked about was set aside for exploration when ANWAR was established. A favorite myth of the Environmental PC crowd is that it will drive away the animals. First, animals have a way of adapting. Think about it...Central Park in NYC is about as urban as you can get, but there are squirrels, fox, and raccoons living among the homeless there. And probably animals I don't know about. Anytime a housing project goes up, the animals leave and then come back. When the Alaskan pipeline was built (how many years ago now?) animals fled, only to return for the warmth of the pipeline. That's where they have their babies. Next, as I understand it, the plan is to move equipment and trucks only during the winter over ice roads so that the softer summer ground is not damaged. Third, we're talking about an area the size of a quarter on an area rug 14' x 11' in size. It's not like the animal populace has nowhere else to go! And any animals still there looking for food in an Artic wasteland in winter probably wouldn't survive long anyway. They've moved on to greener pastures to look for food and winter quarters.

People, if we start drilling, and especially if we find oil, which is expected, the Arab oil cartel that is holding us hostage by our wallets will let up. The price of crude oil will drop faster than a toy from my dog's mouth when he sees me pick up another of his toys. And if we start building another refinery or two the supply will increase. The last refinery was built 20-25 years ago. It's time to build one with newer technology.

Maybe the car companies should start developing engines that are more fuel efficient or use alternate types of fuel. I'm not smart enough to understand the different types of engines, and honestly, I don't really care. But, if a car company advertised, and proved, that they had a more efficient vehicle, especially in a larger vehicle, they would corner the market.

Right now, the more fuel efficient cars are small. Americans think big. We like big and bigger is better. That's one reason we super size our meals at whatever burger palace you patronize. We like big and we like fast. That takes more fuel. But even more so, everyone I know who has an SUV has one because they feel safer in a bigger vehicle. So, car companies, build the bigger, faster, safer, more fuel economic mousetrap and we will come to buy.

It's time to start thinking with our heads instead of our hearts and leave this PC nonsense behind. It's a new day and a new century. SUV's, no matter what you think of them aren't going away. So they use more gas, so do the big pickups I see on the road every day.