In President Bush’s words, we are “addicted to oil.” Yet the most prominent call by our elected officials is to drill for more, get another fix for our addiction.

Since drilling in pristine areas preserved for decades won’t affect oil prices for years and by then only a few pennies per gallon, we are told it will be good for our psychology.

Why not engage in activities that will actually solve our energy crisis? Oil is a finite resource.

As the demand for oil increases worldwide, even if we drill for more oil domestically, the prices will always be escalating.

By drilling, we only delay choices that will have to be made another day and as a country we will fall behind as other countries develop and excel at clean energy technologies.

More oil can be obtained quicker at a lower cost simply by using it more efficiently.

We have the technology now to get 50-plus miles per gallon and soon should be able to get 100 or more. Why do we settle for cars that only get 12 mpg?

Many effective and creative clean energy alternatives are available. What is needed for them to compete with oil and other dirty energies is a fair playing field. Either remove tax breaks and incentives from oil or give those same incentives to clean energy technologies.

Oil is so 20th century. Been there, done that.

Let’s embrace the new clean energy technologies.

Connie Lippert, Seneca