Can High Gas Prices Save Out Planet?

As the gas prices increase higher and higher, I sit back and think of the beauty of this progression.

What? Many say this to me with an exaggerated tone.

They then feel they must point out the obvious things I'm missing. These things are numerous and I wonder if everyone gets together to say the same thing, think the same thing, or rebuttal the same statement the same way. Why would I, an educated man, believe that raising gas prices would be a good idea? They yell and they scream:

Don't you work for a living?
Do you like to see people in the poor house because they can't get to work or merely want to drive their car?
You can spend as much as you want, I'm not going to spend that.
It's absolutely horrible!
Soon, no one is going to be able to drive except Tye rich and you think that's great?

They get more an more worked up without ever once asking for my reason why. So why do I find this rise in gas so great?

When I was a young man I watched the gas prices rise up to $1. Everyone freaked out and said people just wouldn't stand for something like this. Nothing changed. The gas prices rose and dropped, fluctuated like the tide and suddenly began to go up again. People blamed everyone from the president to the people who own the oil. Then we all watched billions of barrels of oil blaze into the air over the Iraq oil fields. We all knew the gas prices would rise. Like a dooms day philosopher, the reports came rushing in. Flooding the airwaves and TV broadcasts with speculations on how high the gas prices would go. Then it happened! Gas prices rose $2! $3! $4 The country, as well as the world was shocked.

The US prices were the lowest, these prices per gallon for the US were the same prices in Europe for a mere litter. Everyone started talking about alternate fuels, alternate energy sources, and a new way to burn clean fuel. Suddenly, a new car came out - Honda introduced the Insight. It actually ran mostly on electricity, and got over 50 mph. There were a lot of reports that said it could even be pushed to 75 mph. Hybrids and new clean burning technology was all the rage. A developer created a engine that would run on used fryer oil. That's right, gas was no longer needed. Then it happened-the prices dropped.

The conversation changed, and people just began to accept that the prices were higher. The government withdrew grants and incentives that were placed on these new alternate energy vehicles and ideas.

As gas prices ebb and flow, I can't help but look back at those times and wish they were still here. If the gas prices really rose again, what would happen? When would we actually stop using oil and fuel? Would it be $7? $10? $13 or $15 a gallon? At what point would we fully throw all of our resources into the alternatives that are out there? If at $4, we introduced hybrids. At the higher prices would we suddenly find new and innovative ways to become fully free of using oil and gas? Could we truly stop harming the precious habitats we drill through?

Yes, when the gas prices rise I do get a twinge of happiness and look forward to the dawn of a new era of the elimination of fossil fuels.