Regular unleaded gasoline at the corner store near my house just reached 3.99 a gallon.  Now that everyone is paying around four bucks a gallon, I wonder if this will be what it takes to wake people up.  For years, conservatives have been vilified by the media for going against the environmentalist movement.  Their 'movement' is more anti-capitalist than pro-environment, and those 'tree huggers' have successfully sued this country into our current situation.  I hate to say we told you so, but .....

I am sure the media will continue to gleefully try to convince us that biiiiiiiig oil is to blame for the high gas prices, but the reality of the situation is starting to get out.  So, while you are shelling out almost a hundred bucks to fill your tank this week, here are a few things to think about.

• The last refinery built in the U.S. was in Garyville, Louisiana in 1976. You read that right; that was over 30 years ago.  There was an attempt in 1979 to build another refinery, but this was tied up in court for 9 years before finally being canceled.  Who do you think brought that court case?

• U.S. oil production has fallen 40% since 1985, while consumption has grown 30%. Oil production was nine million barrels a day in 1985, and is now below five million barrels a day.

• The Outer Continental Shelf in the United States contains over 44 billion barrels of oil, and 232 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. 85% of this area is off limits to exploration because of the environmentalists.  There is enough oil in these areas to power more than 60 million cars for 60 years. Why do you suppose all of this would be off-limits?

• Of all the available energy deposits in the U.S. on Federal Lands, 51 percent of oil reserves and 27 percent of the natural gas reserves are presently closed to leasing - or completely off-limits.

• We now import 60% of the oil we consume in the U.S.; up from about 40% in 1970.  OPEC now has our nuts in a vise, and oil is heading toward $200 a barrel.

As fuel prices rise, the price of everything will go up since manufacturing and delivering will become more expensive.  I personally think the big 'psychological barrier' that has to be crossed will be $5 a gallon.  That is when people will take to the streets, and the fun really begins. 

So when you have to tell your kids that there will be no summer trip this year, just smile with the knowledge that some newt, tree frog, or perhaps a salamander was not put in harms way.  Food bill tripled?  Hey, its for the frogs.  Never mind that crashing sound; that's not an endangered tree; it's the economy instead.