Why can't we drill ANWAR again?

Because drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge wouldn't change the 3 to a 2. In fact it would probably change the hundreths of a cent number on that sign and that's about it. When measured against the loss such drilling will create in terms of ecological damage, moving the hundreth's number isn't worth the cost. (The real problem is refineries and unrest in the Middle East because of Iraq).

Which brings me to a second point. Every time our supplies have been an issue, the answer has always been to drill more, not to look at a long term solution--other power sources, (including nuclear if the waste disposal process is figured out), lower consuming vehicles and other machines, etc. Bush's energy bill has done nothing at all to address these fundamental problems. These are at the core of all of our difficulties in the world. We have a strategic need to supply ourselves with energy, and the biggest source is the Middle East. That is exactly why we are there. I don't see us spreading democracy in Zimbabwe any time soon, even though it is needed there. Thus our involvement there is a problem directly related to our need to control this strategic resource.

Indeed, Saddam bought all of his weapons, and Iran buys its, with our money. Money we spent on oil. If we had a different way of generating power, we wouldn't have well-armed, ill-intentioned enemies over there.

Thus, changing our energy dependence on oil is what will secure America's long-term growth and prosperity. No one wants to do anything about it.

Right.

What's really gonna kick us in the nuts in the short term is the price of diesel. It's higher than gasoline in some areas. And trains - trucks - farm equipment - shipping vessels - all run on diesel. Freight costs are going up and that means that everything is going to be more expensive. I suspect that diesel is getting jacked up more than gas because your average person doesn't pay attention to diesel prices. But the truckers I deal with at my job are really starting to hurt.

Let's raise fuel efficiency standards AND drill in ANWR and elsewhere. There's no reason we can't do both, increase domestic production and reduce the growth of consumption. The technology exists to run cars 100 miles per gallon by using hybrid technology.

Last Monday the price of a gallon of gas at my favorite local gas station just outside Oak Ridge,TN was $2.13 a gallon. When I passed it again today it was $2.45 a gallon.

Ouch!

I don't me to spam the comments but here's an interesting and somewhat related article today on CNN.com about technology that can stretch fuel efficiency to 250 miles to the gallon.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/08/15/hybrid.tinkerers.ap/index.html

I recognize the limitations of batteries and that plug-in technology still requires (if you plug in at home rather than only let the hybrid juice up your batteries through braking, etc.) coal-fired power plants or nuclear...

But what if we put solar panels on our cars while they're sitting in our baking parking lots across America from 9-5? The technology exists. And those who say it isn't cost effective say this because it's true, on a small level, it's not cost effective. But if mass produced, it should bring down the cost to levels where tax incentives could make up the difference. The oil companies aren't going anywhere. They're still going to make money, maybe not as much. But delaying these kinds of initiatives is a threat to our economic stability. See Venezuelan threats to cut of our oil. See instability in Saudi. Secondly, the money we send to Venezuela and Saudi are financing anti-american interests.

What...are we waiting for?

Unfortunately, the new technologies aren't as well connected politically as the oil gas and automotive industries at this point but time will tell.

I agree with all of that. But the current energy bill just doesn't go far enough on the technology side. Its too easy to focus on the "we need more gas" line, because we've always done that with our energy needs since the beginning of the industrial revolution.