As a land economist, and a student of energy trends (my Doctoral Dissertation was titled “Nuclear Power Choices and the Future”, and my Master’s Thesis was “Nuclear Power and Imported Oil”), here are some thoughts: I commented twenty five years ago that gasoline was cheap at ten dollars a gallon, in terms of the power contained in four quarts of concentrated hydro-carbons. Of course almost everything is relative, and the valid question is “Cheap, compared to what?” Cheap compared to any alternate form of energy that will do the same things. The problem is that we have had cheap petroleum for so long in America that the way we live and work is designed around the premise of cheap oil. That day is over. Now we will have a gradual and sometimes costly trend toward movement to more concentrated population centers, if work or service needs require it, or along major transportation arteries with cheap mass transit, and other bulk transportation facilities. The cities of Europe have a lot more real estate and infrastructure that was built before the advent of the automobile and air-conditioning, and therefore will be able to adjust more easily than the U.S. We should be grateful in the U.S. because a gallon of regular gasoline is already $5.79 in London, $5.54 in Paris, and $6.48 in Amsterdam. People in the U.S., aided by technology which allows tele-commuting and distance learning, will weather the transition to higher fuel prices. Regarding real estate prices in the Caribbean, they will continue to increase since it is still the most beautiful and accessible place to vacation for North Americans. While people will be more conscientious about their budgets, those people who can afford a fractional or all of a second home will continue to prefer the Caribbean. Air fares will go up, but one does not commute to the Caribbean, one goes there to vacation or to live . . . Americans will continue to take vacations to beautiful places, and they will continue to retire in the most beautiful places in the world.