Entry for January 28, 2007

This is a WWII poster for gasoline conservation.

President George W. Bush has asked for a reduction of gasoline consumption in his 2007 State of the Union Address:
Tonight, I ask Congress to join me in pursuing a great goal. Let us build on the work we've done and reduce gasoline usage in the United States by 20 percent in the next 10 years. When we do that we will have cut our total imports by the equivalent of three-quarters of all the oil we now import from the Middle East.
To reach this goal, we must increase the supply of alternative fuels, by setting a mandatory fuels standard to require 35 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuels in 2017 -- and that is nearly five times the current target. At the same time, we need to reform and modernize fuel economy standards for cars the way we did for light trucks -- and conserve up to 8.5 billion more gallons of gasoline by 2017.
Achieving these ambitious goals will dramatically reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but it's not going to eliminate it. And so as we continue to diversify our fuel supply, we must step up domestic oil production in environmentally sensitive ways. And to further protect America against severe disruptions to our oil supply, I ask Congress to double the current capacity of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
To read the entire address go here .
In 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt faced a similar situation. On 28 April 1942. FDR gave a radio address to the American people and explained what was expected of them.
...I submitted to the Congress of the United States a seven-point program, a program of general principles which taken together could be called the national economic policy for attaining the great objective of keeping the cost of living down. I repeat them now to you in substance: (1.) First. We must, through heavier taxes, keep personal and corporate profits at a low reasonable rate. (2.) Second. We must fix ceilings on prices and rents. (3.) Third. We must stabilize wages. (4.) Fourth. We must stabilize farm prices. (5.) Fifth. We must put more billions into War Bonds. (6.) Sixth. We must ration all essential commodities, which are scarce. (7.) Seventh. We must discourage installment buying, and encourage paying off debts and mortgages. I do not think it is necessary to repeat what I said yesterday to the Congress in discussing these general principles. The important thing to remember is that earn one of these points is dependent on the others if the whole program is to work.
Some people are already taking the position that every one of the seven points is correct except the one point which steps on their own individual toes. A few seem very willing to approve self-denial -- on the part of their neighbors. The only effective course of action is a simultaneous attack on all of the factors which increase the cost of living, in one comprehensive, all-embracing program covering prices, and profits, and wages, and taxes and debts.
To read this entire address, go to this site .

There are some easy ways to save gasoline such as carpooling and cutting out unnecessary trips for example, driving to the mall to "window shop." How about making highschool kids ride the bus to school instead of driving their own cars? How about putting bicycle racks at schools, businesses and stores to encourage people to bike instead of driving short distances. Can any of my readers come up with more suggestions on how to conserve fuel? Leave comments for me and I'll try to incorporate them at a future date.

(Originally posted on my Yahoo 360 blog)