Originally Posted by
Helmet Head
As long as the market is kept free, there will be no shortages and no lines, because the price will keep going up to keep either from happening. Let's say some disaster suddenly cut off
half the oil supply to this country. The gas prices would spike, to whatever price is required to get people to drive half as much as they are driving now, perhaps jumping to $5, $8, $15 or even $20 gallon, whatever the market would bear until demand drops to equal available supply. With a few minor local exceptions here or there, there will be no shortages or lines. I mean, if people are lining up to buy your product, that's a sure sign the price is too low.
And as the price goes up, alternative energy becomes more and more affordable. Sooner or later we're going to realize the only way to go is nuclear.
You may not see shortages or lines, but you'll see a whole lot more theft and a host of other problems stemming from the fact that much in our culture depends on relatively cheap gas. Take a look at what people drive in economically depressed areas. Getting to a low paying job is going to be problematic. Poor people don't drive hybrids.
Nuclear will play a role, but it's not that cheap of a source of energy either when you consider all it takes to build and operate a plant plus the expense of storing and monitoring the waste.