Anyone looking at their budget has to wonder how much they are giving the oil companies. How many of us stop to wonder what if there were only half as much fuel no matter the price?

What if the output of the major oilfields is declining and what if we have reached a peak or plateau in global oil supply? What if oil companies cannot increase production? What if there will be less?

We need a very frank dialog. It's time.

Our economic system and way of life depends on the ready availability of ever-increasing amounts of cheap energy. As Americans, we use many times more energy per person now than we did only 20 years ago. For most of that energy, there is currently no ready substitute for fossil fuel.

We have made a god of growth. Every person, company, state and country wants to grow. Bigger is better, no question about it.

Time will tell, but it appears that worldwide production of oil has been level since last December. Because growth continues, the gap between the available supplies and what we want is getting larger. Increasing the price will not make more oil. The system is at capacity.

The party is over.

How high will gasoline prices go this summer? How high will the price of heating fuel go this winter? How many spaghetti dinners will it take to fill the oil tanks for our elderly when there is not enough fuel oil to go around?

What will Maine look like when gasoline is $10 a gallon and there is only half as much of it? What will it look like when the airlines shut down?

The New York State Dept of Transportation is finding that prices are coming in 24% over expectations. Florida is finding the price of dirt has doubled in the past year and they have put a hold on highway projects. Even the Saudis have found the price of new oil refineries has tripled because of skyrocketing commodity prices. Here in Maine, DOT will have to defer a big chunk of its projects because of the rapid rise in cost of construction materials.

State and federal deficits, entitlements and promises are ballooning. Personal indebtedness is higher than ever. We are nearly bankrupt both fiscally and environmentally.

"Noah", the Lord asked, "How long can you tread water?"

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Some things won't work. Sunlight falls on 21 million acres of Maine. If we turned it all into biofuel, it would amount to 5% of the diesel fuel for our national trucking fleet. Or 5% of the heating oil we burn every year. What about food? And a lot of that 21 million acres is rock, pavement or shopping mall.

Ten percent more green power, a little more biofuel, perhaps a little relief on the gas tax, $100 rebate checks: all deck chairs on the Titanic.

Little things will help some. Jimmy Carter might introduce a line of warm winter clothing. A statewide 55 mile an hour speed limit. Car-pooling. A halt to all highway expansion.

Big things will help more. A phase in of steep and progressive energy taxes. A public transportation system to connect every community in Maine with light rail. Little buses and vans running up and down Rt 191 in Washington County. Rather than expanding our roads to carry more cars for which we will soon not have fuel, we must take back lanes for rail and bicycle.

Nothing will help the most. Because LESS is the answer. Nibbles like LD2041 - 10% more renewable energy generation by 2017 - are no solution. The state needs to be fossil fuel free by 2020.

The Governor can declare an energy emergency and use his Constitutional authority to order the Guard home where it can go to work laying rail. The alternative is endless war over diminishing resources. That is the choice.

We are at a defining moment. Maine can't wait.