High gasoline prices continue to frustrate drivers, especially as global instability has constrained supply, a situation unlikely to resolve quickly. The solution is to conserve. If we use less, demand decreases, and the price with it. A few suggestions follow.
Pass a law that if you want to buy a pickup truck you must show why you need it for your work. And do you really need that SUV? When I was a kid, my parents toured Europe with my brother and me in a VW bug, luggage and all.
New vehicles should by law be hybrid or electric.
Let’s build our rail systems back and get those big inefficient (and dangerous) trucks off the road. We need better public transportation, and it should be free, as in many U.S. cities. It gets many cars off the road. Why can’t we have high-speed rail like so many other countries? Who wouldn’t rather glide effortlessly to work while reading the paper than sit in rush-hour traffic?
Last but not least, I suggest electing Democrats. The Republicans have taken huge amounts of money from the petroleum companies, and are beholden to create a political climate to sell and burn as much fossil fuel as possible.
If adhered to, I believe these things will go a long way to lowering fuel prices. But much more importantly, burning less fuel might just save the Earth from the climate death we are facing. But perhaps most importantly, you will pay less for a gallon of gasoline.
Fred Durig
Delmont