Rising gas prices are causing great hardship because they are responsible for the higher cost of nearly everything we buy. Much of the hardship could have been lessened, however, if warnings that began decades ago had been heeded.
Instead, the articles, lectures and documentaries plainly spelling out the necessity of conservation and alternative fuels were essentially ignored. For years it has been known that the world’s capacity to pump oil is about to be surpassed by demand.
But it has been only in the past few years that the cost of oil has begun reflecting that reality — touching off a relatively small movement toward conservation. That movement is rapidly growing now that gasoline prices are beginning to surpass $4 a gallon.
Although it is unfortunate that conservation and large-scale production of alternative fuels didn’t begin long ago, preparing us for this day, it is gratifying to see those efforts revving up now.
Las Vegas Sun reporter Steve Kanigher, in an article in Thursday’s paper, wrote about the strong efforts local governments and the Clark County School District are making to conserve gasoline and convert, wherever possible, to alternative fuels.
For example, school bus routes have been reconfigured to reduce the distance traveled, Clark County and Metro Police are swapping big cars in their fleets for smaller ones, the Regional Transportation Commission is replacing older public buses with new buses that get better gas mileage and many city of Las Vegas vehicles use alternative fuels.
We hope these efforts are quickly matched by individuals and businesses, whose commitment to conservation, if undertaken, could put a significant dent in demand — as well as contribute to a healthier world.
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