[rdouglass]

Yes, I think the oil companies are ripping us off and doing it because they can.

I vote for archologies (at least IIRC that's what they're called). There are places currently that are trying them small scale and they are meeting with mixed results.

Today, I drive to work and back 35 miles round trip and burn approx 2 1/2 gal gasoline to do it. 200 years ago I would have climbed down my stairs from my upstairs living quarters to my street level shop.

The new(!?) idea is to go back to these community environments where you can do all your daily tasks (work, shop, etc.) without having to drive a vehicle. What is an archology except one of these communities on steroids.

I've seen recent Discovery Channel (and other) shows on floating cities, gigantic city skyscrapers and other such constructs. Didn't notice a car road in any of them. And I don't think there are too many that would disagree that if we eliminated automobiles, gas would be cheaper and the earth would be a little cooler. No we would not stop any normal climactic changes, but we would induce them less.