“‘I am sorry to say this, but we are headed toward really bad days,’ a prominent energy economist told Time magazine last week. ‘Lots of targets have been set, but very little has been done. There is a lot of talk and no action.’

“That was no alarmist talking. It was Fatih Birol, the chief economist for the International Energy Agency, an oil industry organization whose annual World Energy Outlook report is widely considered a reliable indicator of petroleum supplies. Released as the price of oil neared $100 a barrel, the 2007 forecast sent an urgent message to world governments: The days of cheap oil are probably over.

“It’s not hard to understand why. The current daily supply of oil can barely cover world demand. With China and India rapidly industrializing, the International Energy Agency expects that the planet will require 116 million barrels daily by 2030 … to slake its petroleum thirst.

“Now is the time to quit talking and start acting. Thoughtful Americans know that we can’t keep living like this forever. Our nation must start investing heavily in public transportation, domestic drilling and research into renewable energy sources and clean-coal technology.”

— Dallas Morning News, “The days of cheap oil are probably over,” Monday

“If you’re worried about the safety of your kid’s toys and the other items you buy, then you should really be worried about Nancy Nord. She’s the acting chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, but, for the top cop on that busy beat, her actions of late have been a bit odd.

“After a summer and fall in which hazardous products — such as lead-tainted toys from China — have turned up on the nation’s store shelves with disquieting regularity, Nord opposed a bill that would double the commission’s budget over time and allow her to hire much-needed inspectors. Right now, incredibly, the commission has only one full-time employee to inspect toys.

“She may be delivering what President Bush wants. He has a penchant for putting people at the helm of regulatory agencies who don’t like regulation. But if he covets credibility with consumers, or wants to protect the public, Bush needs to put someone in charge of product safety who is bullish about the job. Someone other than Nancy Nord.”

— Newsday, “Nancy Nord isn’t doing the job at CPSC,” on Monday