On 23 Feb 2007 09:11:09 -0800, "Chuck Gould"
wrote:

Expect another ugly year at the fuel dock, but the good news is that
it won't seem quite so bad as before because we're all becoming
accustomed to paying 50-cents a pint. :-)

What a bargain, if we could only get a good beer for that...

There is a plus side to high energy prices that is not well understood
or appreciated:

1. Encouraging exploration for new sources of supply which are badly
needed.

2. Providing incentives for new research into alternative energy
sources which is the best long term solution.

3. High prices create a self imposed rationing system which tends to
weed out inefficient or unnecessary usage.

As an example of encouraging alternative energy sources, wind power is
on the verge of becoming economically viable even without subsidies.
Solar power is not there yet but the price of an installed watt has
dropped almost 90% in constant dollars over the last 30 years.

There has also been huge progress in battery technology which is
critical for electric automobiles (and possibly electric boats):

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2...14/011211.html

http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/070223/0219304.html

http://www.altairnano.com/