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You know gas is expensive to Americans when the local news reports that scooter sales are up significantly, even in Des Moines. Scooters and moped riders who aren’t riding to school are still pretty few and far between in the States, but as we approach $4 a gallon unleaded, more and more people are buying in to these little boogers that often approach 100 mpg.

In the face of the current economic situation, a lot of Americans are actually making positive changes in their lives. Whereas hardly anybody would have been caught dead riding a motor-scooter 5 years ago, opting instead for the typical American behemoth, mindsets are different now. Environmentally friendly activities such as these aren’t as shunned anymore as habits of hemp-growing tree-huggers, but rather they are seen as viable options for a mainstream America that is acknowledging the issue.

I can’t imagine how awesome it would feel to whip into a gas station on a little Vespa for a fill-up. I’d look over at the person next to me filling up their Escalade or Expedition and try to hold back a snicker as their meter rolls past $100. As for me, I’d only have to dig around for a $10 bill to fill a nearly dry tank and be good for around 200 more miles. Oh yeah, I can clearly picture it!

The times are changing, and you can feel the waning status symbol that large, gas-guzzling vehicles have enjoyed for far too long. When Ford is drastically cutting back truck and SUV production, and Honda, Yamaha, and Vespa are enjoying the current economic conditions, our changing ways are clear. News like this is long overdue, but better late than never I guess!

Senators John McCain and Hillary Clinton recently proposed a plan that likely resonates well with many potential voters, but is absolutely terrible.  They announced that they would like a summer-long, from Memorial Day to Labor Day I believe, holiday free from federal gas taxes.  Supposedly eliminating that 18 cent/gallon tax would help consumers at the pump.  It’s a load of crock though!

We are supposed to be slowly weaning ourselves from our enormous thirst for cheap oil, and here are two of our presidential candidates basically saying they are going to help us use more of it.  This reinforces a huge public notion that government can and should do something about the high gas prices.  Truth is, this is just political garbage that they desperately hope will reel in some undecided voters.

Taking away the federal tax would most likely just increase demand to the point where it was with the tax in place (Perhaps McCain and Clinton need macroeconomics 101 again?).  Then we are still at square one, with prices the same and no tax revenues coming in.  When the tax would be reapplied in September, prices would be even higher because of this stupid move.  Besides, our road infrastructure is crappy enough here in the States (Uhh, did they get the memo about the disaster in Minneapolis?).  How many billions of dollars in revenues would we lose that we desperately need to fix our roads?  Here’s a better idea: let’s actually raise the tax, and fund some alternative energy development with the revenues.  What do you think?  Do McCain and Clinton actually ignorant to believe this is a good idea, or is just a political ploy?

Well, spring is officially here and summer won’t be too far behind.  With gas prices already at $3-plus and experts predicting $4 this summer, Americans are definitely going to be feeling squeezed.  I think we’ll see more and more people trying to make big changes in their personal habits (at $4 a gallon it will be necessary for many).  However, nobody said making changes has to be a drag…

The best way to cut our vehicles’ fuel use is to leave them parked in the driveway.  That said, a perfect way to conserve this summer is to replace fossil fuel transportation with good old human power by riding a bicycle.  Every time you hop on a bike instead of taking the car you are doing the earth and yourself a favor. 

If you don’t already have a usable ride, there’s no reason to go out and buy a $600 Schwinn.  A $100 Wal-Mart bike should suit most people, and with a little TLC should last a long time.  Just like a car, bikes require regular maintenance to keep them efficient and easy to ride.  Unlike a car though, almost anybody can easily learn for themselves how to care for their bike and keep it in top shape. 

As if the fuel-saving implications weren’t enough of a motivation, the health benefits more than make it worth the effort.  What could be better than helping the environment, getting exercise, and saving money all at the same time?  For me, those are three important things benefited by one easy switch.

 So go on out there and get biking this spring and summer.  I live about 12 miles from town, so it becomes harder for me to ride to work/errands, but I plan on getting my bike cleaned and tuned up and take it to school in the fall.  I could definitely use the money savings there. 

Well, we’ve reached a milestone in our oil addiction; the price of a barrel of crude oil closed above $100 for the first time last week.  Our consumption, though, is steady-eddy as always.  It seems that Americans are now accustomed to $3 a gallon gas.  How much longer can this trend continue though?

Who would have guessed back in 2002, when crude was hovering in the $20 range, that we would see a five-fold increase in only 6 years?  I believe this huge run-up is testimony to the fact that the world continues to demand more and more oil yet supply is struggling to keep pace.  Just look at China and India.  Those two countries continue to get thirstier, plus America’s unbelievable amount of energy demand hasn’t relented. 

We’ve witnessed the enormous growth of the environmentally friendly/energy conservation movement over the past several years.  We’ve got a long ways to go though, and I hope we have the time to do it.  At present rates of demand, I’m doubtful we could operate with oil at $200 a barrel.  Energy prices have been on a long-term upward trend for a while now; will it continue?  If it does, where is the breaking point?  I sure hope we don’t have to experience it.  We need to act faster.