Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook
Man Tries to Order Priciest Starbucks Drink Ever Total cost: $23.60 »

It's the End of the World as We Know It—and He Feels Fine

Gas prices closing the open frontier, finally

By Jim O'Neill,  Newser User

Posted Jun 23, 2008 10:26 AM CDT

(Newser) – The soaring cost of travel is forcing a fundamental change in the identity of America, writes Bill McKibben in the Washington Post: "The frontier of endless mobility that we've known our entire lives is closing." And that's not necessarily a bad thing, because sprawl has "eroded our sense of community with grievous results."

Our desire to put distance between us and our neighbors also has accelerated our consumption of scarce resources and poured tons of carbon into the atmosphere. Yes, we lose something by having less freedom to travel, but it's time to redefine our wanderlust. "We can still share the Earth," McKibben writes, but through "ideas, not cargo containers. From the keyboard, not the driver's seat."

In a June 11, 2008, file photo  gas prices are posted at a World Gasoline station in Sunnyvale, Calif.
In a June 11, 2008, file photo gas prices are posted at a World Gasoline station in Sunnyvale, Calif.   (AP Photo)
Michelle Black of Valencia, Pa., pumps gas at a Gulf Station in Valencia, Pa.
Michelle Black of Valencia, Pa., pumps gas at a Gulf Station in Valencia, Pa.   (AP Photo)
Fadi Sabbagh, owner of a gas station in Paterson, N.J., pumps gas that is priced at $4.05 a gallon for regular unleaded Monday, June 16.
Fadi Sabbagh, owner of a gas station in Paterson, N.J., pumps gas that is priced at $4.05 a gallon for regular unleaded Monday, June 16.   (AP Photo/Mike Derer)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

More Newser Stories

Just in Time for Christmas: $3 Gallons of Gas

Gas Prices Are Down—and That's Bad

Gas Prices Lowest in Year

Oil's Slide as Chaotic as Its Rise

GM Rolls Out Volt Tomorrow; Hopes for Game-Changer


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne