Petroleum demand to grow 37% by 2025.

Petroleum demand is set to grow at an average rate of 1.5 percent to 27.93 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2025 from 20.45 million bpd in 2004, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's long-term forecast.

MSNBC is doing some other good reporting on the looming but little discussed energy crisis. It is time that we all start raising alarm bells. Next time you are at the water cooler and out of fodder for small talk, why not mention that:

The recommendations of the 16-member National Commission on Energy Policy are viewed as significant because the commission includes a wide cross-section of energy experts, including Republicans and Democrats, industry executives, environmentalists, labor leaders and former government officials involved in energy issues.

The group has no actual authority except to make its recommendations known to the Bush administration and members of Congress where lawmakers for four years have been stymied in trying to produce a national energy agenda.

A key finding by the panel is the need for greater government involvement in developing new and more environmentally friendly energy sources, including a proposed doubling of money for federal energy research and development.

This needs to be a part of the public consciousness. The only way to make it that way is to go out and talk about it. So, go talk.