April 2008 saw another sharp drop in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) according to the Federal Highway Administration's monthly report on "Traffic Volume Trends" (PDF). This follows, "the sharpest yearly drop for any month in FHWA history" in March (see here).
I was compelled to blog on this because of the incredibly astute media coverage by AFP, "worldwide news agency," which wins the "Duh!" award for the month:
Observers surmise a possible link between the declining number of miles driven and rising US gasoline prices.
Wouldn't want the ever-cautious media to leap to any conclusions. (Note to AFP: Observers surmise a possible link between the declining number of readers for big media and the rising blandness of your/their coverage.)
As it becomes increasingly clear that high gasoline prices are not a fluke, Americans are adjusting their driving habits. The longer prices stay high -- or go even higher -- the more people will start to make permanent adjustments in their driving -- and then, ultimately, in where they live and so on.
Here are the details from the April report:
In April 2008, Americans drove 245.9 billion milles, compared to 250.3 billion in April 2007. Indeed, the April 2008 figure is lower than the April 2004 figure. To see just how remarkable that is, look at the annual vehicle-distance traveled data (in billions of miles) since 1983 (this is a moving 12-month total):
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amazingdrx Posted 2:25 am
22 Jun 2008
If we are seen as taking satisfaction in the pain at the pump, we could lose this election. Concentrating on price is the way to defeat the GOP tactics. Tarring the eco-minded as anti-economy.
If we keep on stressing that electricity is 66 cents per gallon equivalent to oil based fuel and that plugin hybrids will allow commuting on alomst no gas. Saving the family economy.
That is a winning position. On this biggest of all economic issues (in the public mind at least).
We ought to point out that more mass transit and plugin hybrids (bikles too) and neighborhood electric vehicles will stabilize gas prices by lowering demand. Supply increases, like the GOP is touting, just have no realistic hope of stabilizing oil prices.
Only renewable energy can increase supply and only conservation (like the conservation that plugins and mass transit and bike lanes) can reduce demand. The cheap, plentiful oil of the past is no longer available.
Flagrant waste and oil wars and unregulated trading have done away with that. Fear of war doubles the price of oil, once it's processed through hedge fund manipulated markets and media hype. Wasteful gas guzzling has set the stage for this panic.
The oiliest administration in history has done it's best for it's true constituency, OPEC, saudi arabia, and the exxon mob. They will all be rewarded for generations to come for their good works. Daddy bush wanted to elevate his clan into the realm of the super rich, he has done it.
The son sealed the deal, with this huge run up in oil. Are we going to let Rove turn this back on us? I hope not. Feel the pain at the pump along with the swing voters. That's the right political path to take.
Gloating and smirking could lose us this election.
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog
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Wolverine Posted 4:17 am
22 Jun 2008
What enviros discuss among ourselves and what we say in public should, obviously in some cases, be different, as it would be for any group. As a result of higher -- still not high, despite the crying of spoiled Americans -- gasoline prices, people are driving less. There's no other way to spin this; it's a very good thing for the environment. It has nothing to do with gloating, smirking, or taking satisfaction in the pain of others. It has to do with taking satisfaction in humans doing less harm to the Earth.
What environmentalists' public position should be is a very difficult issue, because the vast majority of people in this society don't give the environment any priority and would rather maintain their destructive lifestyles. The only tactics I can see that have a reasonable chance of succeeding are trying to convince people that the environment is more important than lifestyles, which would take a long time and is almost certainly not going to succeed before the upcoming election, or to convince people that cheap oil will never exist again, so we need to rebuild our society with excellent public transit (run by solar and wind power) and by creating communities where it's only a short distance to work, shopping, and school.
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amazingdrx Posted 5:00 am
22 Jun 2008
Step in with green policy to revive the economy from the grassroots up. Saving money now devoted to oil is something everyone except the exxon mobsters can get behind.
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog
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amzolt Posted 5:12 am
22 Jun 2008
Hmmm... Sounds like a real anal "scientific" view...
~ Alex
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