Make no mistake: the price of oil has a dramatic impact on our economy. Today oil was trading at $131.95 per barrel. Economic Toll Mounts From High Oil Prices (By GRAHAM BOWLEY and DAVID JOLLY Published: May 23, 2008)

The Ford Motor Company is cutting vehicle production for the rest of this year due to rising gasoline prices — they “are having a tremendous impact on our sales, our manufacturing operations and our profitability.” Likewise, Air France-KLM warned of “a profound reshaping of the world airline industry” caused by the “explosion” in the price of oil.

In Tennessee, a farmer has reverted to using mules to gather hay from his fields. It worked 100 years ago… why not use it now?