Well, I guess this is the topic of the day.. so my four dollars and six cents (and rising)..

If we start using our food products currently shipped overseas since fuel derived from our food products is worth more than the food shipped to other countries what will the countries that rely on US food exports do?

This speculative BS in oil has got to stop. Force delivery of contracts, that's a great first step. Require sellers to actually deliver product. When the product that has been sold has no room for 'storage' then the price will drop as there will be a glut of sold oil but no where to put it. (Although I can think of a few places to put it... but the speculators who have driven up the price may not feel too comfortable).

Second: Nuclear power. We can heat our homes with the electricity produced by nuclear power. Mini reactors (lasting for 30-40 years, self contained and self monitoring) are in the certification process... the Nuclear Regulatory Commision should expedite certification of these 'mini reactors'. They can do that by reviewing the current certification standards and eliminating those requirements which clearly would not apply to a mini reactor. (These 'mini reactors' are proven and do work, they just haven't been mass produced.)

Third: Hydrogen powered and hydrogen hybrid vehicles. Hydrogen CAN be produced in mass quantaties while on the road... you need electricity at a higher frequency to produce hydrogen in mass to power a car, but it can be done.

In the meantime let's drill for our own oil rather than let the Chinese take it.

Finally, GET RID OF THE LAW THAT ALLOWED THIS SPECULATION IN THE MARKETS TO OCCUR... PASSED IN THE LATE 1990's WHICH GAVE RISE TO ENRON AND ELECTRICITY PRICE HIKES... JUST EXACTLY WHO WAS IN 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVE THEN??