I just read this article today and I thought I would share it as it's point was well received.
It talks about alternatives to increasing oil exploration and rilling that would be able to help ease costs in the same time as the pursuit of more
oil.

President Bush wants to lift a 27-year-old ban on coastal oil drilling and open up a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil
exploration as ways to cut the cost of gasoline ... Presidential candidate Senator John McCain, who may rapidly be losing his environmental
credentials, agrees with the President. Obama has yet to comment.
The nation needs something bolder. Better than looking for more oil it needs a crash program to dramatically cut oil consumption while making
equivalent cuts in greenhouse gas emissions attributed to vehicles. Most oil is used for vehicular fuel.

Beginning immediately:
--- Offer a generous tax credit for the purchase of an energy efficient new or used vehicle that increases with average fuel economy...
--- Loosen up the protectionist import rules for new and used vehicles. Make it easier to import high fuel economy cars and trucks that are already
available overseas, many of which may already meet crash tests and possibly emissions tests as well...
--- Offer corporations generous incentives to build high fuel economy cars domestically. Increase the incentive with the fuel economy of the vehicles
built...
--- Increase domestic supplies of lithium and offer generous incentives to increase the domestic production of lithium batteries....

I support such efforts for several reasons. Foremost for the protection of the environment and for the impetus for technological advancement.
As has already been pointed out in other threads the call for increased leasing of land to oil companies is a sham. As Rep. Hinchey (D) from New York
stated:
"Oil corporations are trying to take control of as much land now during the oil-friendly Bush administration years, but are holding off on drilling
until the price of oil soars to $200 or $300 a barrel so they can make even greater profits," said Rep. Maurice Hinchey, a New York Democrat and a
sponsor of the drilling bill.
link

In this thread:
"The Push for Opening More Land for Oil Drilling is a Farce (Part
1)" I provide evidence to support the claim made by Rep. Hinchey. Oil companies already hold more leases than they are using at a ratio
somewhere around 3:1. What they are avoiding is the debate on how the USA should spend it's money; on continuing to prop up the carbon economy by
pumping money into it's infrastructure; or by shifting away from the carbon economy and investing in creating a alternative energy economy.
That is why I think articles like the one I present in the begining of this thread are so important as they point out the obvious, the time has come
for change, are we still innovative and progressive enough as Americans to meet the challenge?
[edit on 21-6-2008 by Animal]