For over thirty years, America’s energy policy has been summed up in two words: Cheap Gas!!

Every president since Richard Nixon has called for “energy independence”.  To them energy independence means ending dependence on foreign oil.  You can hear them in this video:

http://endependence.info/research/videos-c-12-v-65.html

Despite the talk, there has been no action.  America’s drive toward energy independence is in neutral.  In fact, since Nixon’s time, we have slid backward to the point where over 60% of our oil comes from other countries.  It used to be only 30%.

Can we blame the backsliding on the politicians?  Mostly, no.  We have to blame ourselves.

When gas was cheap, we bought SUVs and trucks that never went off-road or hauled anything.  They were stylish at the time, so Americans bought lots more of them than smaller fuel efficient vehicles.  Our domestic car manufacturers went with the market flow and almost stopped making fuel efficient small vehicles.  It worked great until gasoline prices climbed above $4.00 per gallon.  Suddenly, we stopped buying SUVs and trucks, and now the Detroit 3 automakers are in such bad shape that they need the taxpayers to rescue them.

They could have been making plug-in hybrid trucks like this.

http://endependence.info/research/videos-c-1-v-9.html

The question is, would we have bought them?

Gas is cheap again.  Are we going to start buying inefficient vehicles in huge numbers again?

From personal experience, I can attest that when it cost $87.00 to fill up the gas tank on my pick up truck I seriously thought about how to combine trips and errands.  Now that it costs less than $40.00 to fill up, I find myself not worrying so much about that extra trip or two to the bank or the grocery store.

The facts are that the behavior change didn’t take hold because the pain that caused me to change my habits ended.  Now I have to rethink my motivation and combine trips and errands because I know it is better than wasting gas.

Energy dependence is a market problem that requires market solutions, but there is a large personal responsibility component to ending dependence on polluting fuels.  Are you doing what you can to save energy?  Here are some simple things you can do around the house.

http://endependence.info/research/videos-c-6-v-14.html

http://endependence.info/research/videos-c-6-v-15.html

I am going to force myself to change my driving habits.  Will you help the cause by doing something to conserve energy in your life?

Thank you.