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The countries of the European Union have decided to strike the best deal that they can with the Russians now while they tax and invest in solar, wind and nuclear projects to reduce their future dependence on Russia for natural gas. So, for example, Portugal, hardly one of the richest countries in Europe, requires utilities to pay 0.31 euros -- about 37 cents -- a kilowatt hour for electricity produced from solar projects. (Electricity costs in the United States run about 10 cents to 14 cents per kilowatt hour.) Germany, Italy and Spain have similar programs. The immediate pain is worth it, European countries like these have concluded, to get rid of these bullies.

And the United States? Government policy is a dreadful combination of the laughably irrelevant with the downright dangerous. On Earth Day, President Bush touted hydrogen-powered cars as a future solution to our oil addiction -- and his administration has requested $5 billion over the next five years for hydrogen research that may result in a marketable hydrogen vehicle someday. Meanwhile, the administration has proposed a fiscal 2007 budget that would slash funding for research to improve energy efficiency -- today -- by 20% from 2006 levels.

And to get angry drivers off their backs, Republicans in Congress have proposed sending out $100 checks so drivers can keep buying gas to fill their cars at the pump.

That will sure fix these bullies. Raise gas prices to $3 a gallon, huh? Well, we'll pay that. And we just dare you to raise it some more.

It's a message oil bullies -- old and new -- will certainly understand. It's just not the one that we ought to be sending.

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