Conservation now!

I keep hearing calls for oil drilling off the coast, and warnings about how we need to find more oil so we can keep driving our SUVs. I remember an oil spill in Santa Barbara that shut down the beaches and killed birds and sea life. One spill in the water, one incident where oil meets ocean is reason enough to avoid the offshore drilling option.

We have no one else to blame but ourselves. When the 1973 oil embargo shocked us all we were caught off guard. Today we should know better, and we should be angry that nothing has changed in the past 35 years as far as driving habits, commute alternatives, new energy sources, or mileage standards for autos. Our leaders have let us down, big oil is king, and we will all pay the price for inaction.

Exxon, Chevron, and the other major refiners are recording obscenely high profits and laughing all the way to the bank. The best action we can all take now is to conserve, conserve, conserve. Let's attack the demand side of the equation to lower prices. I am talking about making permanent changes in our transportation system from a bottom-up perspective. Small changes made on a big scale can have a large impact. Take it a little at a time. Here are some ideas.

• Ask your boss if you can work from home one day a week (two would be even better).
• Take public transportation whenever possible.
• Drive your most fuel-efficient vehicle.
• Combine trips; plan your drives.
• Get a bicycle for short trips.