Oil tensions rise

Today oil prices moved past $62.00 per barrel on the news that King Fahd of Saudi Arabia died and the lingering effects of oil refinery fires last week.

Currently the U.S. imports 58 percent of its oil from foreign countries, within 20 years that number is expected to rise to 68 percent according to the AFP.

Does the U.S. expect complete stability in the Middle East for the next 20 years?

Additionally, over the weekend, a new study linking global warming and hurricane strength was released. These stronger hurricanes, year-after-year, have the ability to seriously interrupt the supply of oil and gasoline into the United States.

Year after year we're going to get lucky?

So what is the U.S. doing?

Increasing not only oil dependency, but foreign oil dependency. O.K., excuse me, Congress is going to help by allowing hybrid cars to use the carpool lane and by offering a couple of tax credits for hybrid vehicles. Of course, Congress is about pork and loopholes, and those tax credits could be used by GM and Chrysler as an excuse NOT to produce hybrids (more)

Yet, Congress still won't address fuel efficiency and continues to allow the Big 3 to loophole their way around current fuel efficiency legislation (more on this). The result? Amidst a second war in Iraq, increasing Middle East tensions, and the war on terror, the U.S. is as fuel efficient as it was 20 years ago.

Shouldn't Americans expect more from American corporations and Congress?

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Read Hybrid vehicles: It's the technology, stupid