Gas. Fuel. Energy. Dependence.

Not much for detailed commentary here-- just a couple quick thoughts. You may have noticed recent trends in oil prices. That is, unless you live in a cave.

I recently heard a random statistic (from when gas was averaging $2.20/gal.) that every year we consume about 500 gallons of fuel per living US citizen. So, five-hundred times three-hundred million (500 * 300,000,000) = ... One-hundred and fifty billion (150,000,000,000) gallons of fuel, every year. Yikes.

I do my share of driving, and every time I'm caught in traffic I become painfully aware of the millions-- billions, of gas-powered vehicles that trek the earth on a daily basis. It took me an hour just to get 15 miles out of Minneapolis yesterday, and many people endure daily commutes far longer than my little rush-hour jaunt from downtown to the suburbs.

Suburbs aside, I say let the gas prices continue to rise-- hopefully it will create a bigger market for smaller cars and alternative forms of energy. I do realize that regardless of what collective humanity comes up with, our very mode of existence is often (if not always) determined by our dependence on oil. Finding a sustainable alternative will almost certainly not be easy. But higher gas prices could serve to speed up the inevitable, don't you think?