The spike in prices of gas and oil hurts. But there might be an upside to it.

For decades, scientists and geologists have made a point of warning us that there’s a limit to the amount of fossil fuel. There is only so much, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Foolishly, we’ve failed to heed their warnings.

As the housing market boomed, we cut down more and more trees, bought up more and more farmland and open space and built bigger and bigger homes, farther and farther from our cities. Inside our big homes, we eschewed sweaters in the winter and set the thermostats at 72 degrees, and bought air conditioners that we run all summer.

Businesses, including big-box stores (think of the heating and cooling costs) followed us to our sprawling suburbs. We bought bigger and bigger vehicles, minivans to carry our children to all their far-flung activities, and SUVs to make that longer commute in every kind of weather.

We largely abandoned the search and research for alternative fuels that President Jimmy Carter presciently began in 1977. We heard Al Gore’s predictions, and perhaps we paid a sort of dismal attention at the time, but by now, we’re living far from our jobs, buying strawberries from Peru, and spending our money on cheap clothing made in and shipped from China.

The weakness of the American dollar has lessened our buying power in the world. Our intervention in Iraq has shaken relationships that, for decades, have had influence on the decisions OPEC makes.

Now, gas has hit the $4 a gallon mark.

And maybe, just maybe, this is the wake-up call that America needs.
Using recyclable shopping bags is a start. Compact fluorescent lightbulbs are a start. But Americans must do more.

We must change.

It is vital that we put money into researching alternative forms of power. The government must find ways to offer incentives to individuals and businesses who adopt alternative technologies. We must abandon the thinking that has led to suburban neighborhoods of McMansions, an hour’s drive from work.

We must demand that automakers focus on alternative-fuel vehicles. Yes, some are now offering cheap gas as a bonus when you buy a gas-hog vehicle. Clearly, this is the kind of short-term thinking that simply prolongs the problem.

We must find ways to drive less, and consume products that are made or grown closer to home.
We must wrench ourselves from our way of life.

And maybe, just maybe, the gas-price pain will provide the impetus we need.