In the latest installment of Clarkonomics, Clark discussed some predictions about the price of oil. The current price is about $83/barrel, while a gallon at wholesale costs an average of $2.08. Now Clark is hearing some predictions of prices hitting $100/barrel. Meanwhile, Forbes recently ran an article suggesting that oil will go down to $45/barrel -- rather than up to $100/barrel. The reason is that there's new supply coming out of the ground that will drive prices down. Another story Clark saw predicted $50/barrel. All this could, of course, change if we have another episode of world turmoil or terrorism. But the fact remains that we in America use way too much gasoline for our population numbers.

There are three ways to deal with our over-consumption: drive less, buy a more fuel efficient vehicle or develop more technology that will allow vehicles to transport us more efficiently. GM is hot on the heels of a plug-in hybrid, which uses practically no gasoline. You plug the car in overnight and then your first 40 miles of the day are generated from electricity. When you go over 40 miles, the vehicle automatically kicks over to gas. This system would work well because most people drive less than 40 miles a day. On a related note, Clark is upset that special interests have gotten tariffs on sugar. The sweet stuff can be used to produce the most efficient gas alternative known right now -- much more so than the corn ethanol some people are pursuing here. The injustice of the situation is that sugar is not a viable solution for U.S. fuel needs because of the ridiculous tariffs in place that protect special domestic business interests. Our energy needs go hand-in-hand with our national security. Isn't it time to start making smarter choices?