Originally Posted by Lab Rat

If we would have started drilling and building more refineries in 1998, then we wouldn't be using phrases such as "it will take a decade". There has to be a starting point for everything, and as far as I'm concerned there is no time like the present. We can start now, or we can still have this ongoing discussion about high oil prices in 2018. Either way, the problem isn't going to go away by itself.

Talking about "alternative fuels" and "what if's" aren't putting cheap gas into fuel tanks at the moment. Truthfully, we should be drilling, innovating, and exploring - all three simultaneously.

I disagree with you on the drilling part of your 3 pronged solution. I believe we need to ween ourselves off of oil unless we can supply sufficient amounts to control pricing. Since I doubt the latter, the sooner we break the cycle the better. I believe that more drilling will only prolong the inevitable. You are right that in 2018 we will probably be asking ourselves how this cycle continues. One part of the equation would be " how much profit did the oil companies make this quarter?"

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