It ain't easy being green.

I just had a sudden realization.. One that strikes me as rather interesting. As anyone in the US knows, gas prices are atrocious nation wide. And many of us blame Bush for this, I know he's at least one of my suspects. But consider the following: With High Gas prices, the push for alternative fuel engines has been increased, making them available, and cheaply, to the American Public within the next 5-10 years. (Note the steady incline in prices over that time period). Now... Lets assume for a moment that the automotive industry knew that without some impetous the alternative fuel engines would never catch on, and it'd be a pain in the ass to continue to produce said engines in conjunction with the old pure petrol engines. Its far more cost effective to specialize. Now consider that they *WANT* to move to this new mixed-fuel/hybrid vehicles, after all, why not? Production of repair parts for these vehicles is going to be higher, and results in an overall increase in profits for the company. But those PESKY Petrol cars!

So.. In conjunction with the gas companies, the automotive industry starts designs. The gas industry continues to raise prices (after all, if they're doing it consistantly across the board, they only make profits while helping their sister companies, the auto manufacturers). Now that prices are up to over 3$ a gallon, the auto-industry says 'Hey.. Here.. Look at these nifty new cars'. People who wouldn't have considered looking at such a 'Niche' or 'Green' vehicle 2 years ago, are suddenly AVIDLY persuing the idea of these alternative fuel cars. Now.. Gas companies stand to make an increased profit here also, because now they can DIVERSIFY. Sure, until now, they've been leaning on a stock of products made from one source. Which admittedly, is a pretty broad range of things. But now, voila, they have an entire new field to expand into, which will only increase their profits over time. And a public desperate to have both the automotive industries new miracles, and the gas companies new products, without eliminating the reliance on the former products.

Now consider: We know we're running out of oil, or at any rate its becoming less cost effective to collect. And with all the environmental protections in place to protect most of the remaining oil sources. (Alaska, IE) Its becoming more costly just to get the rights to build those costly facilities. And Hydrogen/Methane/Etc can be made anywhere, relatively cheaply. So.. Doesn't it make sense for the gas companies to deliberately drive us away from their products (which have a limited amount remaining) to their sister companies new products, which will, in time, drag them back to the Gas companies *NEW* products?

By spreading out the gasoline consumption with other fuels, we get lower prices on gasoline, new products to fuel our new vehicles, an overall greener environment, and a sustainable fuel source to keep the gas companies income running steady.

Now you ask what my point is. Guess what.. I'm not telling you. But maybe we could pause a moment, and reflect on what this all really means.. Compared to what we've seen the high prices as meaning.

Suddenly... America is scrabbling to be Green. And not even knowing it.