Just think how Al Gore's call for a 50 cent carbon tax was universally denounced and rejected.  Bush has given us at least a $2.50 a gallon carbon tax, and did so with very strong conservative support, and conservatives are supporting Bush's efforts to raise the carbon tax to $3, $4, maybe $7 a gallon, with ratcheting up of threats of war with Iran.

And war with Iran might increase the Bush carbon tax to $10 to $20 a gallon!  The action to address global warming would be dramatic.

Some people are driving less but for many, old habits die hard.  Maybe when drivers stop leaving the engine running while they run into dunkin donuts we'll have reached a tipping point...

Interesting that Bush will go down in history for doing more to eliminate the internal combustion engine than (the real president) Gore ever did.

It is further interesting that market forces are driving the change faster than laws being made to do the same thing.

Bush, Clinton, Reagan, Carter - NONE OF THESE GUYS ARE AT FAULT.

We are! To make matters worse, we voted them in too and never willingly wanted them to change anything on our behalf!

These presidents allowed us to spend freely and never developed any real conservation laws to protect us and future genrations.

Maybe this time we'll see real policy changes.

BTW - most of us posting here have Internet Access - JUST TELECOMMUTE MORE, and tell your buddies and kids to do the same!

First, don't buy a new car just for the better gas mileage.   I've done a calculation to figure out how many miles I would have to drive at current gas prices before I saw a cost savings.   If I were to trade in my Volvo (20 mpg) and buy a Prius (50 mpg), assuming a total outlay of $24,000, with gas prices locally at about $4.70 a gallon, I'd have to drive about 166,000 miles before this would save money.  This doesn't even take into account the fuel and carbon cost to produce a new car.  Even if gas prices were to double in the next year, I'd still have to drive about 55,000 miles before seeing any savings.

You could nearly halve your fuel costs by carpooling with only one person. This all but wipes out the year's gains in fuel costs.   I know, a lot of people don't have that option, but I bet most do.

You could get 10-20% better gas efficiency by accelerating and driving more slowly.   I was getting less than 19 mpg and now I'm getting nearly 21.  For all but long road trips, speeding isn't going to save you more than a few minutes, if that.   Other drivers may be annoyed at me for doing 55-60 in a 65 zone, but my fuel cost equivalent is 40 cents a gallon less.  This is something everyone can do, even those who have to drive alone.

The thing is that there are not enough people who have good jobs that they can absorb the cost of rising gas prices. The economy will, and is, suffering from these high gas prices. The oil companies don''t care that it does maybe its the same as the price of the Car Covers