Originally Posted by MrFatbooty
Keep in mind that my final number is an *extremely* optimistic one. If you go with the 95%-chance estimate of 600,000 barrels per day, that's 219 million per year, or 3% of total year 2002 consumption. And that won't happen until the year 2020 at the earliest. Not exactly what I would call short term.
Well no, not exactly short term - but not long term either. If it were up to me I'd say we start preparing and searching for more of our own oil sources, regardless how "miniscule" you think it may be. (Look, even 219million barrels per year is $6,700,000,000) while we continue to lower our consumption and search for other means of viable energy.
Sitting back and betting on one side or the other, or just flat out refusing to do anything about it because it's not going to give enough to our economy is pointless. I personally would rather see $6b go back into my economy rather than Saudi Arabia's or Iran's.