Re: [GreenYes] Fw: How To Drive Down Gas Prices

[Sharon_Gates@ci.long-beach.ca.us]

After having seen this message 3 or 4 times over the past couple of weeks, I have to ask:  Do we really want to drive down gas prices?  Are artificially low gas prices in the long-term interest of anyone?  Clearly, low gas prices are in the short-term interests of the oil companies, the conventional car manufacturers, big driving destinations such as Disney, etc.  I believe that what we really want to "drive down" is the cost of personal access to our places or work, recreation, education, etc.  We can do this in a much more sustainable manner by increasing the availability of public transportation, working to create less auto-dependent cities, and decreasing the petroleum-dependency of our vehicles (through such measures as increased fuel efficiency, alternative fuels, etc.).  Low gas prices just make doing the "right thing" harder to sell to those "driven" by the bottom line.

Sharon Gates
Recycling Specialist
City of Long Beach, California
Phone: 562/570-4694
Fax: 562/570-2861