LOOKING AT THE BRIGHT SIDE-FINAL CHAPTER

This will be my final in-depth comment on the price of gasoline and it's impact on how we conduct our daily lives in the future.

The most important statement I can make concerning the above is: STOP POLITICIZING THE COST OF OIL.

Before enumerating the basic facts, I need to comment on an article in today's New York Times where a corporate big-wig stated that fracking oil from the ground would increase our oil capacity by 25%. What he forgot to mention is that it would violate our ground water system.

For those of you who would prefer filling their gas tanks to dying of thirst, I commend you.

For the rest of us, remember that the synonym

for fracking is fricking. Some combination--Frick and Frack. So, while the ground gets fracked, we the people get fricked.

Now for some, but not all, of the basic facts:

1. Oil is a finite commodity. If you're over sixty, perhaps you will still to be able to fill your tank until the day you die.

2. The price of gasoline is subject to the law of supply and demand. Less supply leads to higher prices. More demand leads to higher prices.

3. Americans seem to think we are the only ones that have automobiles. We're not. The rest of the world uses gasoline and, unfortunately for us, emerging nations such as China and India have populations that are buying more cars and therefore need more gas. More gasoline for them, higher goes the price.

4. Has anyone noticed that as the price of gasoline fluctuates, it never falls below its last low and no one can predict how high the next high will be.

5. My prediction: Gasoline will never fall below its last low. Gasoline will rise well above the $4 mark and within the next two years will hit a high of $6 a gallon. (If coffee can double from $3 a pound to $6 a pound when coffee and gasoline at one time were both $3 for their respective weights, why not gasoline?

6.For all of the above reasons plus many more, the rising price of gasoline will be the tipping point to major changes in our lifestyle.

I intend to be proactive. How about you?