After reading a NY Times Opinion piece...
My dad arrives tomorrow for a camping trip down to Big Sur, and that got me thinking about gas prices. (Ever since Emily's been here, I've let her use my car under the condition that I pay for insurance and she pays for gas.) While the average national price per gallon is a record $3.28, the average price in California is around $3.60. And yes, we have higher gasoline taxes here, among other things.
While oil is now over $100-a-barrel, U.S. consumer demand actually fell the first couple months of the year for the first time since 1997. Even so, the world demand shows no sign of diminishing, with India and China fastly coming on board to the age of personal, motorized transport we Americans have been enjoying for several generations. Meanwhile, oppressive regimes in Iran, Russia, Venzuela and Sudan are all benefiting with record profits.
I agree with the NY Times editorial piece that we need a new energy policy, and no, ethanol is not the answer. We need to harness renewable sources like wind, water and the sun, and progress is being made, from upstart companies to the well-entrenched. Our government should invest in R&D for these technologies, rather than focusing exclusively on oil.
Meanwhile, let us be economic in our consumption, walking or biking when we can and carpooling as much as possible. If we are self-disciplined in our desires, we can be good stewards of our limited resources.
(I suppose going down to Big Sur isn't necessary, but once there we'll be sure to hike a lot... and post some pictures!)
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