Harry W. Parker, Texas Tech University
Once upon a time there was a land where petroleum and natural gas were abundant. In this land, petroleum and natural gas were both the most convenient fuels and at the same time the least expensive fuels. The people were reasonably happy and the economy prospered because of the abundance of economical fuel and other reasons. The fuel demand grew and grew for this prosperous economy, until the reserves of domestic petroleum and natural gas were inadequate to supply the needs of the economy. For a while, oil was imported without great financial or political difficulty, and few people worried about the future. Then imported oil was denied the people temporarily, its price increased rapidly, and many people became very concerned.