Hooray for higher oil and gasoline prices

Although higher energy prices are certainly seen as a very dark cloud hovering over the economy, it is a cloud with a very bright silver lining. Higher crude oil, gasoline, and heating oil prices are a very clear economic signal to consumers and businesses everywhere: cut back on your energy consumption.

Conservation and efficiency are our friends. If you as a consumer or business are not taking positive actions to conserve your energy use and to switch to more energy-efficient appliances, vehicles, and other equipment, then you deserve to suffer the consequences. You have no right whasoever to whine or complain about high energy prices. They are a clear economic signal. Pay strict attention to all economic signals.

Strong economic signals, such as dramatically higher energy prices, are just the kind of medicine we need to get us to re-focus our human energy on dramatically improved conservation and efficiency measures.

-- Jack Krupansky