Energy independence is a dangerous concept.  It implies that if we can become independent of foreign source of energy, mainly oil, that all is well, the nation is secure and we can go back to what we do best, consuming the rest of the world's resources. Why should we be any more independent of foreign sources of energy than we are indpendent of anything else?

There is a state of being, a value that is more important and significant that energy independence and that is fossil fuel independence.  What have we ultimately gained if we become independent of the middle east while, we at the same time ravage our mountaintops and the atmosphere with domestically produced coal and Canadian produced oil sands, all the while plundering our topsoil with Iowa produced ethanol?

Using big oil as the enemy is a dangerous paradigm. It misdirects  us from the real source of our problems, that being us.  We would not even be talking about this if it weren't for high gas prices. If they don't rise much higher, we won't be taling about this a year from now.