# SUV sales down!


Two of Canada’s three leading national newspapers had the following news
on their front page: SUV sales down because of high gas prices. That
made me very happy. I remember discussing high gas prices with a friend
I was staying over with in Arkansas (this was before Hurricane Katrina,
but gas prices were still high in general), and how I believed that it
was a good thing. She kind of brushed me off, saying that it would not
make a difference - Americans would always drive. I didn’t entirely
agree, but I kept that to myself. After Katrina though, I read a USA
Today article listing examples of how people were saving gas - officers
were patrolling on foot, freight companies hired experts in stacking,
which reduced the need for trucks, etc. And coming back to Toronto,
statistics show that more people are taking public transportation or
ride sharing.

Of course, these are short term changes, that are naturally limited
because people are still living with the same structures - city
planning, public transportation etc. What we really need is sustained
high oil prices, that can slowly lead to changes in city and
transportations structures. And I actually think that will happen either
way. Hopefully Canada (where I am living now) will aceept this as a
great opportunity - to develop green technology, and create employment
while improving the social and natural environment.

Stian