Well, we’ve talked about high gas prices, but it seems that the ceiling may be a bit higher than we thought. Based on the projections for crude prices, some are suspecting a potential rise to $6 or even $7 a gallon. We could see prices at the pump this high in the next 12-24 months.
Again, I am torn between my feeling that high gas costs will force a positive, increased focus on efficiency and conservation while I worry for families that are already struggling to get to and from work. We are trapped in the lifestyles and living situations that cheap fuel created and no one will suffer the consequences of a shift more than the lower middle class workers.
How can we reap the benefits of higher fuel costs (more bikes, more public transit, more efficient cars) without destroying overburdened families? Can our infrastructure adapt to a decrease in driving? Will our economy collapse without the cheap fuel on which it was built?
If you have a solution or questions of your own, use the comments. That’s what they are there for.
Nic Darling is a great believer in the power of failure.