Energy’s silver lining

High oil prices are painful. But they’re forcing positive changes in our economy and lifestyle.

The price of oil has cut into household budgets and curtailed summer vacation plans. With families forced to choose between a shopping trip or the commute that brings in a salary, consumer spending has declined. There’s more than enough pain to go around, and yet there is no denying it: High energy prices also have an unforeseen bright side, forcing the nation to reduce its carbon emissions and delivering the encouraging message that, although we might not regain the freewheeling way of life that came with cheap gasoline, we have more ability to shape our fates than the caricature of the soft, spoiled American implied.

The first sign was when SUVs went from being the belles of the freeway to oversized wallflowers. Thirteen miles per gallon isn’t just expensive; it’s no longer chic. As U.S. automakers gear up for a new motoring sensibility, we can look forward to a more gas-thrifty future.


Then, a handful of manufacturers with overseas operations found that the costs of global shipping outweighed the cheap labor, and moved their factories back to the United States. It’s not easy to abandon an expensive plant, so the movement of factory jobs has been more a trickle than a rush, but it can be expected to grow as companies consider their options for new facilities.

Now supermarkets are cutting down on shipping costs as well, by buying more local produce. Wal-Mart has announced that it will spend $400 million on local produce this year, with plans to expand such purchases in the future. The markets are finding a convenient match in cost reduction and consumer tastes. In addition, locally grown fruits and vegetables are less likely to go through the giant processing plants where produce from throughout this country and others is commingled, occasionally spreading food-borne illnesses such as salmonella and E. coli.

Sure, stores still sell bottled water shipped from New Zealand, but concerns about global warming, and the prices of long-distance goods, are making consumers more mindful of their choices.

LA Times