The Peak Oil Crisis: On Slowing Down

As gasoline prices pass $4 per gallon and begin to eat away at our well-being and the fabric of our civilization, the realization is slowly growing that indeed there is something we can do — slow down. Currently this concept has less than zero traction in Congress. Recent polls show that, in overwhelming numbers, the American people

It is now 34 years since Congress passed the National Maximum Speed Law requiring states to establish a 55 mph speed limit as a condition for receiving federal highway funds. It is 21 years since the Congress permitted states to raise the speed limit to 65 mph on rural interstate highways and 13 years since states were given the authority to set any speed limits they like. After oil became plentiful again, lower speed limits were seen as a way to save lives by reducing the seriousness of accidents, but public clamor soon overcame concerns.


As the interstate system grew, and cars became faster and quieter, the