Well, there is a quick fix. In one decisive act, the government could save in excess of 50 million gallons of gasoline a day — by cutting the speed limit to 55 mph just like they did with the oil crunch in the 70s and 80s.

Here are some benefits: a 25 percent drop in gasoline consumption, saving 1 billion barrels of oil a year, more than this country currently imports from the Arab world. Conservation means fewer tons of carbon dioxide pumped into the atmosphere. There would also be fewer serious accidents. Even if gasoline consumption only drops 10 or 15 percent, oil prices would almost certainly drop considerably.

I’d rather slow down than continue to enable the economies of other countries, who despise the United States and keep reaping huge profits. Dropping the speed limit back to 55 mph, hopefully would provide incentives to come up with an alternative fuel and maybem, just maybe, give our politicians the urge to research these alternative fuels.

Kitty Whetstone

Woodville resident