I like most others, am happy that oil prices are falling. It had become an almost daily practice of mine to drive by the gas station near our house to watch the numbers climb. They fall much more slowly (of course), but they have been falling nonetheless.
We need leadership now though, to make sure that falling prices do not cause lethargy and complacency. We need to keep talking about the national security implications of importing so much oil from people who would like nothing more than to see us suffer. We need to talk proudly about how our cutting consumption this summer is helping to lower the price of oil, something that directly impacts the bottom line of these petro-thug countries. We need to remind people that we can't go backwards, that we need to continue to move forward on nuclear, solar, wind, clean coal and other alternative and renewable fuels. We need to tout the benefits to our country of investing in technology that will lessen our oil dependency. We need to try and resist the temptations of human nature, and just return to the same habits that put us in the position we found ourselves three months ago.
Sorry CW, all that is already forgotten. If the 70s didn't change us with prices increasing 5-fold in one year, you really can't expect us to keep this issue in our crosshairs once the prices fall. I still find it interesting how falling crude prices aren't reflected at the pumps for around 4 weeks but get a refinery or two wet during a hurricane and watch the pumps dispense fewer gallons per dollar the very next day. To that end, appears Ike did his part to help us keep the focus on oil independence but I don't think it is enough. Britney Spears is once again getting more time on the "news" than energy conservation and she's acting abnormally normal.
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