It was about that time when serious starts were made to find alternatives. There are alternatives to sources of refined fuels now (not corn or hydrogen), facing barriers to commercial production, not because they don't work.
Why limit ourselves to nuclear powered cars?
Never the less, foreign oil prices can only go up so far before it will be cost effective to squeeze the vast energy resources in oil shale, and other sources The oil argument is not a good one.
Saying it is ridiculous to think that 8 miilion domestic barrels a day would be much more expensive than the 20 million barrels we currently consume is not a good argument?
Why doesn't 8 million barrels at $180 each crash our economy?