More Is Less: High Gas Equals Quicker Drives in LA

Related Newser Stories

• On the Trail of Medical Marijuana

  Jul 21, 08 4:56 PM CDT
  California's legalization of medical marijuana helped create a cultivation and distribution network that promises big money for those willing to work in legal gray areas. Guided by an old friend, Blue, who's a dealer in all but name, David Samuels of the New Yorker follows the trail of Tibetan prayer flags from boutique-style urban dispensaries to lush fields in virtually lawless rural areas. More »

• Why $8 Gas Would Be Awesome

  Jul 11, 08 11:17 AM CDT
  Gas, as you may have heard, has topped $4 a gallon, and Joel Stein of the LA Times loves it. "Cheap gas is unfair," he argues, tongue mostly in cheek. Heck, why not make it $8 or even $10 a gallon, as in Europe, "where they have fewer road deaths even though they drive like complete idiots"? More »

• Fires, Spiking Gas Aside, Calif. Tourism Still Sunny

  Jul 3, 08 4:25 PM CDT
  Near-continuous wildfires and soaring gas prices don’t seem to have made much of a dent in California’s tourism industry, the San Jose Mercury News reports. California's AAA reports only an 0.8% drop in Fourth of July domestic tourism, and a jump in visitors from abroad more than makes up the difference, travel officials say. More »

• The Good in $4 Gas

  Jul 2, 08 12:03 PM CDT
  The rest of the world may have thought it would never happen, but energy prices are beginning to change Americans' behavior. Time notes some positive aspects:
  

  1. Jobs lost to globalization return, because energy costs make international shipping unattractive.
  2. Suburban sprawl is slowing as people choose to live closer to cities.
  3. Many firms are switching to four-day workweeks—the practice saved Florida's Brevard College $268,000 over a summer session.
  4. Less pollution as motorists drive less …
  5. …and more frugally, both in how they drive and what they drive.
  More »

• California Steaming: Heat Wave Goes On

  Jun 20, 08 9:30 AM CDT
  Southern California is sweltering in a record-breaking heat wave that has killed at least one person, the Los Angeles Times reports. The 77-year-old woman died after wandering out of her car in 116-degree heat, and her husband is in critical condition. Forecasters warn the exceptionally high heat will continue through the weekend. As Californians cranked up the air-conditioning, energy use in Los Angeles was the highest ever recorded in June. More »