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Americans are spoiled. Gas is still cheap here compared to, say, Europe, though that's the result of large taxes in Europe. What's the result? Europeans drive much more responsible cars, generally, than Americans do.
The fact is, Americans have no 'right' to cheap oil. Sheesh, even at current prices, it's often cheaper than milk! Long-term, you can expect to see oil prices continue to rise, because the fact is that oil is a limited resource that IS going to run out. If Americans won't learn to moderate their energy consumption voluntarily, the market will make them do it by driving up oil prices until demand slacks off some.
The problem isn't Exxon. It's the average American consumer: addicted to oil and believing that cheap and easy access to it is their god-given right. And it's the average American who is contributing to the disaster that is global warming. Global warming = people dying and entire countries (like Tuvalu) being destroyed by rising waters. Reducing America's energy consumption is not just a practical matter when framed like this - it's a moral imperative.
So all I have to say is: Three cheers for rising oil prices. It's about time.
--matt
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