I never said Oil companies are stupid. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Ah, I wish that I had a golden axe that sang and made cookies (and trailed behind it a lovely golden parachute!). If you calculate war into the equation, we're paying a hell of a lot more for our oil (and have been for decades) than we are willing to admit. Talk about a subsidy! Think of what efficiencies alternate energy sources could do with a trillion dollars in funding! Of course, you would have to do an X-Prize style dangle the carrot thing or it would become as corrupt as the current "few billion missing here, a few billion overreported here, a few billion overrun here" crop of contractors.

I'm not a dyed in the wool crazy leftist (or a rightist for that matter). I do think that there are fuels to be used here at home without the political issues that oil brings. Coal, however is extremely dirty no matter what way you slice it.

One thing is for sure, it's down to US making the decision to buy which drives the rest of the dynamics. If there's enough demand, they'll figure out the supply line.

I'm not sure that hydro and wind really need much in the way of research, but rather investment. Solar still has plenty of research wiggle room. The others will likely benefit from incremental change at this point.

The respect is right back at you Blast. And have a good time in the field.