Comments on: Why Americans Are Driving 1M Mile Less a Day

By: Leeds Driving School

Leeds Driving School — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:24:47 +0000

Excellent post.

As you have suggested, it is a lifestyle choice and I doubt that making fossil fuels in this economic climate is a good idea.

Keep up the interesting posts.

By: Gwenny

Gwenny — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:52:57 +0000

My family is helping. LOL My son and I “commute” together . .although with my job being just one mile from door to door from my home and his just over two miles, I wonder if the 10ish miles round trip we go each day can legitimately be called a “commute”. Except for the week the three of us go and donate platelets and red cells at Stanford, we put less than 100 miles a week on our car.

This is a choice, btw. When we job hunted, we had a ten miles radius.

By: » Obama Concedes Kentucky, And A Coverage Update What’s Required: Progress in the Commonwealth

Fri, 09 May 2008 20:12:09 +0000

[...] Americans are driving 1 Million miles less this year than any other since the 70s. [Environmental Graffiti] [...]

By: Samantha Jacoby

Samantha Jacoby — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:56:13 +0000

As your post suggests, the demand for gasoline is somewhat price elastic--when price increases, demand will decrease. However, in the short run, demand is not very price elastic--demand will not change much. In the long run, on the other hand, the price elasticity increases greatly, because high prices will lead to investment in clean energy sources, infrastructure to support public transit, etc. This means that if oil prices continue to rise, in five years, ten years, twenty years, people will reduce their demand for gasoline and opt for alternatives. Unfortunately, this doesn't offer much relief for people today. Thus, to speed the transition, we need to invest in renewable energy now. Some big oil companies and investors--such as BP, JPMorgan, and UBS--have begun to realize this, and are putting more and more resources into renewables. To learn more, you should check out the Renewable Energy Finance Forum-Wall Street (www.REFFWallStreet.com), held June 18-19 in New York City. REFF brings together investors, financiers, and renewable energy project developers to network, share ideas, and develop plans for the future. Over 40 high profile industry leaders will speak at the event, discussing topics such as solar power, wind energy, advanced biofuels, and economic and policy factors fueling renewable energy development.