How much could we save with gas and oil alternatives?

Did you know the US is expected to spend $86.5 billion dollars on oil in 2008? Did you know that this is 26.5% of the worlds total expenditures for oil? (Here is the numbers and more about the world’s oil spending: http://www.worldoil.com/Magazine/MAGAZINE_DETAIL.asp?ART_ID=3434&MONTH_YEAR=Feb-2008) With so much investment from foreign governments in US companies, primarily US utilities, shouldn’t we look at how we would benefit, and make our country safer, if we started using fuel alternatives?

Why don’t we dig into fuel alternatives? Why don’t use synthetic coal from Montana or invest in ethanol choices? Think about the amount of money we are spending in foreign oil. Why should we give countries that despise us and would love to be able to put a strangle-hold on us because we depend on them to function?

Today, OPEC and the middle eastern countries have said they will not produce more oil. Doesn’t this basically mean, “The US needs more oil. Let’s not produce more to help ruin their economy!” It is obvious that gas prices are the cause of higher food prices and the recession the media has been “warning” us about for months now.

I consider myself a traditionalist and conservative, but I am not sure if I the way i feel about this issue falls in those lines or not, but I think we should spend the money, time, technology, etc. to use our own resources, people, jobs, and everything that is necessary to produce a fuel that can power our country. I know at this point, there is much debate on whether hybrid cars are more cost-effective, save gas, and so on, but if there was a real push to incorporate these type of vehicles, then the demand would go up, fuel costs would go down, and more stations would pop up making this a more feasible alternative. To add to this, wouldn’t it make sense for us to be buying corn-based fuel that put money in American companies instead of middle-eastern companies???

Finally, we have been talking about fighting terrorism for several years now, and everyone has a different answer. One thing I think everyone is overlooking, primarily because it wouldn’t put money in their pockets (and I direct this statement at every politician, no discrimination), is the fact that we have established a great terrorist threat with our dependence on foreign countries to run. Everything we do, including food production, requires oil, which usually comes from some other country. This is a major terrorist threat along with the massive investment in US companies by the same foreign countries and their governments. The power other governments have over our country really scares me…