JERRY POURNELLE: “Obama says that if we drill we won’t have any new oil in the pipelines for ten years. Ten years from now someone will be saying the same thing, of course. The only way out of our energy dilemma is to pursue all fronts: domestic production, nuclear power, and some of the ‘alternate’ ‘soft path’ alternatives even when they are not cost/effective as insurance. And research. But this means an integrated energy strategy that allows the market a fair amount of influence while guiding the nation toward, not energy independence in normal times, but a capability of survival when energy sources are interrupted, and ways to ease economic disaster when oil prices skyrocket. None of this is impossible or even all that difficult, but it does require attention to reality and priorities.” Uh oh.

UPDATE: Some similar thoughts from Jay Leno.