Ecomunicipality.com

The price of oil continues to spiral, and sadly, as high as gasoline goes there are always people lined up and ready to pay whatever for a fill.

Is that the definition of dependency? I think it is.

So, what's the end game here? $8 a gallon gas? $10 a gallon? And, at what point do people ditch their dependency on dead dinosaurs and do something else?

Here's one scenario, from Jeff Rubin. He foresees a continued escalation of gas prices despite the loss of as many as 10 million cars from America's roads in the next four years. Those of us that follow such things understand that for every car taken off the road in the United States, another 2 or 3 will the pavement in China and India. So, no great hope that eventually we will reach market stabilization.

And, how long will it take for America to build a new transportation infrastructure built around expensive energy? A very long time, so the transition could be rough. Hell, it's rough now.

And, since some form of transportation will still be needed going forward, one hard-thinking blogger has looked very closely at alternatives to "fuel vehicles", i.e. that means electric and human-power. You should really take some time and check out his diary on this topic. Wow! Just wow! I wish I had that much time to work out all of my ideas.

In the mean time, some cities, like Portland and Manhattan, are starting initiatives to have "car free" zones, if even for a day.

How civilized is that? Very. We may think that being without a car is the end of the world, but actually, it's just the beginning of a whole new existence. One that is less expensive, more eco-friendly, more interdependent, more civic-minded, and one that is much more about collaboration than independence. And you know what, it just might be the best thing that ever happened to us.

I'm not ready to give up my 1993 Honda Civic just yet, but at 45+ mpg, it's still getting me around safely, reliably and at a cost that makes me think twice about where I'm going and why.

Eventually though, I, like many others, will want a world where I don't need to jeopardize the planet's ecology or my looming retirement simply to get from point A to point B.

Thoughts?