From NPR: Sharp Rise in Oil Prices Could Hinder Recovery
The pace of a national recovery will be challenged as a healthier economy needs to increase transport of goods and services (and people as they go back to work) but the cost of gas and diesel go up in a global oil market no longer dominated by the West and USA alone. As the NPR story says, the price of a barrel has nearly tripled since January, 2009. With other economies competing for that finite supply of barrels, supply vs. demand will have its way. According to a source in the NPR story, "a $10 increase in the price of oil is like a $200 million tax on the economy a day." or $73 billion per year, much of which goes overseas. With oil at $32/bbl in Jan '09 and closing in on $90/bbl today, that's a cool half trillion dollars.
That is one reason why replacing a car trip with a bike trip is a national energy strategy and national debt issue. Not to mention, that bike trip may keep you out of the doctor's office from sedentary-related diseases, making it a better health care solution than simply handing out medical care cards.The list goes on, but only if the bike is on the road instead of being an ornament on a car's roof rack.
Have a nice day, and remind your Congressman that conservation is more than "...a sign of personal virtue...". It may be a sign of a national will to survive and prosper in an increasingly challenging world.
(with acknowledgments to Andy Cline over at Carbon Trace for instigating this post)
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