Pay $5 for gas

There's something special about $5/gallon gas. It was the thing we all worried about this summer as the price nearly reached that point, and it changed driving habits. It may have even had a lasting impact on american car makers' business model. (Maybe). Many say this is a good thing. Robert J. Samuelson of Newsweek recommends it for security reasons. Others recommend it for environmental reasons. Some suggest raising the price for revenue generation.

But that of course is something that either the market or the government will have to do. But is there something each of us could do? What if we each committed to paying $5/gal for gas. No I'm not saying find the most expensive gas in town, or just burn an extra $20 each time you fill up. But what if each time we bought gas we figured out what it would cost at $5/gal and squirrled the money away somewhere. Put it in your savings acount and save towards a vacation, or save it for when fuel costs really do soar. Or use it to add solar panels or donate it to energy research. Shoot invest it in energy research and get some profit back. Or save it to buy an electric car.

The point is two-fold. First we prepare ourselves for the inevitable return of high prices. If we are already paying $5 then the price shooting up to $3.50 is no big change on our balance sheet. Second, it encourages us to plan in terms of the higher price. How would assuming a price of $5 affect our choice of cars or our driving habits. It would be a shame if the lessons we learned during this summer's run up in prices were forgotten now that gas is again under $2.

I realize, that those who would participate in this are already environmentally conscientious, and no I'm not certain I have the discipline to do it myself, but it is an idea that I think could make a difference for individuals, and maybe, just maybe, for society.