Reading the headline, most people would think this would be a post about how much paying $4/gallon for gas hurts or that there must to be a way to bring the price down. While emptying my pockets just to fill my tank is admittedly painful, especially with a long commute in a vehicle that gets 15 MPG, I’ve come to change my opinion on the subject.

$4/gallon gas is AWESOME! It’s causing regular people like you and me to re-evaluate our attitudes on fuel, oil and conservation. It’s changed our driving habits and our attitudes about cars. It’s motivating businesses to make big changes in the way they produce and ship goods.

What I first saw as a temporary nuisance and then as a threat to our economy, I now view as motivation for positive change. If America is truly addicted to oil, then we must break the addiction. And, ask anyone who has ever had to confront an addiction and he or she will tell you it’s not an easy thing to do. Just like a heroin user faces a painful detox, our economy and American lifestyle, built on cheap oil, must undergo some suffering while we kick the habit.

We’re already in the initial stages of innovating our way out of this mess. However, one significant threat stands in our way–falling oil prices. That’s why we need $4/gallon gas. Without it, it’s business as usual.

Even though it may feel like a bad thing, $4 gas is the stepping stone to a much better, and healthier, global environment. It’s the motivation behind alternative fuel vehicles and future energy independence. So, the next time you stop to fill up, think about who profits from that $140 barrel of oil and what it’s done to our environment. Then, think about how much better things would be with a roof full of photovoltaic power and an electric vehicle in the garage.

Now, just don’t let it get to $5/gallon. That would be ridiculous.

Posted in Rappin' with B-Rad | 3 Comments »