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U.S. Petroleum & Crude Oil Overview
(thousand barrels per day)
	1960	1965	1970	1975	1980	1985	1990	1995	2000
U.S. Crude Oil Production	7,035	7,804	9,637	8,375	8,597	8,971	7,355	6,560	5,834
U.S. Petroleum Imports	1,815	2,468	3,419	6,056	6,909	5,067	8,018	8,835	11,093
Total	8,850	10,272	13,056	14,431	15,506	14,038	15,373	15,395	16,927
Imports as % of Total	20.5	24.0	26.2	42.0	44.6	36.1	52.2	57.4	65.5

While a wide variety of alternate energy sources exist, the only technologies capable of supplying the vast quantities necessary to significantly impact our petroleum consumption are nuclear and clean-coal electric power generation. Coupled with modern, efficient, electricly powered mass-transportation systems in our nation's most densely populated regions, our dependence on imported oil can be dramaticly reduced.

High-speed rail as an alternative mode of transportation in the U.S. is long overdue. We are reaching the point of diminishing returns as we expand our 4-lane interstates to 6 or (gasp!!!) 8 lanes. And even costly airport expansions make little sense when (prior to 9/11) the air corridors themselves are over-congested.

High-speed rail and maglev offer the perfect alternative to augment & supplement our highway and air transportation infrastructure. For regional trips between 150 and 350 miles, it is faster than automobile and not that much slower than air. Yet offers the potential to alleviate both congested highways and air corridors!

In light of current economic conditions, construction of this vital transportation infrastructure should be accelerated.

Ethanol never was a miracle fuel for internal combustion engines. Internal combustion engines are not miracle machines. They are merely the best compromise on a relatively cheap, compact power source available today.

BTW, ethanol can be made directly from a petroleum derivative, ethane, by combining it with water vapor and cutting an OH radical in with the ethane molecule by use of a catalyst. Ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, and free hydrogen result from this reaction.

Here in Iowa I can buy super unleaded with 10% ethaol for $1.16/gal yesterday.