As summer approaches I am sure we are all finding ourselves looking forward to some sort of vacation and in most cases this will be done by car. Just this last weekend I was filling the tank on my average size gas tank and found that even the $30 I put in just barely put me at 3/4 full. Given the coming of warm weather, increased travel, and a whole plethora of worldwide problems that negatively impact our gas prices I found myself hoping that maybe there is some good that can come out of these sky high prices. It really seems that so many of the economic problems our country faces as well as the military and political troubles we are enduring all revolve around this one topic. For instance, one website I was reading on http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/archive/2010/April/Pages/HowMuchforaGallonofGas.aspx stated that bringing a single gallon of gas into a warzone can cost our country's military, which is of course really just our tax money, up to $600 to be delivered. Has it really not yet come to a point in our civilization where its obvious we need to find some safer, cheaper, and cleaner means of fueling our engines? I remember quite clearly a few years ago when it seemed that everyone had a desire to produce a better engine or perhaps find a fuel made from some better material like biofuels using corn biproducts. What happened? I am praying that in light of these rocketing gas prices we will find ourselves again on track where our economy dictates that change is needed. It seems pretty clear that we are not going to stop driving cars as much as we can in this country and even the rest of the world. If the market finally shows that there is vast quantities of cash to be made in cleaner and cheaper fuel that might make this whole nightmare worthwhile.
Even aside of the possibilities of future super clean cars that run on super cheap fuel, there seems to be one other side effect of this gas cost problem we face that I can't help but view as a positive thing, that being the possibility of less people driving. Imagine for a moment if you would how amazing it would be if there came a day when we actually had traffic figured out to some degree. Not because we all start flying cars but because we finally find a way to get less people on the road. I have always been a fan of mass transit but one of the big draw backs has always been implementing the infrastructure to run those systems. If these gas prices continue to rise we may find ourselves in a situation where it really is cheaper to work together to put these systems in place than to fuel our own cars. And this just opens up a veritable cornucopia of benefits that we would experience. Traffic fatalities from mass transit are a fraction of what they are from single person driven automobiles. More people on busses or trains means less cars so there is a smaller ratio of automobiles to people than there is now which would naturally reduce pollution and refuse generated by old unwanted cars. Finally, if we all start putting greater stock in mass transit then there would be more incentive for the companies that produce these machines to produce faster, safer, and better versions of them which would further increase our dependance on them. I had an opportunity to experience the mass transit system in England a few years ago and I must admit I was jealous of what they have there. Having the option to get on a train to quickly and cheaply ride anywhere in the country was amazing. Although our country is much larger and certain parts of country just don't make train travel very easy, I still feel like there is a ton of room for improvement in our train system. I would be beyond happy, as I'm sure many people would, if we were able to adopt something that more closely resembles a train system from some of the European or Asian countries.
So if you find yourself like I did, being a little upset about these gas prices, take a step back and think for a moment about the possibilities that these may encourage. The greatest inventions throughout human history have always been born out of necessity and it seems pretty plain to me that it is necessary for a change in the world's use of fuel. I just hope that this is finally the time that this happens. I guess it really just boils down to when is enough, enough? Are you tired of paying these huge prices? If you are, stop paying them. If we all stop buying gas tomorrow then oil companies would have no choice but to adapt. Supply and demand people, supply and demand. I know I have been trying to drive as little as possible since this last time I got gas, maybe it's time you all do the same.
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