Gas prices are still climbing much to the consternation of many. This elderly couple in Colorado are considering cutting back on their volunteering while most airlines are biting their knuckles to keep from screaming. British airways and Lufthansa have already added a surcharge on some routes. Although it is too soon to conclude either way, there are indications that SUV sales have decreased in the past month. The question is, how will this affect the long-term policies of the US government? Unlike Europe, attempts to reduce the dependence on oil has been half-hearted at best. Instead, the policy seems to be - find the next source of oil - be it offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico or Alaska or Iraq.
The logical conclusion: the next major source of oil is going to be Libya. Billions of dollars greasing the palms of Colonel Gadaffi must have been a sufficient motivating factor to come out to the world (read US) about his country's nuclear program. You can bet that they'll wait long enough to render the public memory incapable of making the correlation and lift the sanctions that were imposed after the Lockerbie bombing. After that, hallelujah! Oil flows!
I hope I am wrong. I hope there is some pre-emptive scientific breakthrough in alternate fuel production. Another Manhattan Project, perhaps?
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