12-step program for gasoholics?

Well, I don't suppose anyone is surprised that the media talking heads are predicting that gas prices could hit $4 or $5 a gallon by Memorial Day.

Prices have been rising steadily since the unrest started in Egypt a couple of weeks ago, and now that Libya has come un-hinged, the gas companies are not wasting a minute raising prices for the consumer. Come on, they went up 5-cents in the last 24 hours based on rumors that Ghadafi is going to blow up Libya's oil wells.

Even though Libya produces just 2% of the world's oil!

Now, I don't fault the local station owners - they have such a small margin to work with, and they don't call the shots. No, I believe the blame lies primarily with the corporate honchos who seem to book record profits each year, regardless of what happens -- oil surpluses, oil shortages, giant oil spills covering the Gulf.

But the average person really needs to take some responsiblity for the situation. After all, it is America's gas-guzzling lifestyle that makes us so economically vulnerable to the political drama in just a handful of countries and that makes it so easy for a half-dozen or so corporate CEOs to bring the world economy to its knees.

There is an answer. We need to kick the gas habit.

Time for a 12-step program for gasoholics:

- group your errands so you drive less

- shut the car engine off if you are going to be idling for 20 seconds or more - a car gets zero miles to the gallon when idling

- make sure your tires are properly inflated -- you can improve mileage by 15% that way

- drive smarter: go the speed limit, no jack-rabbit starts, no tail-gating or anything else that causes one to drive in a herky-jerky way (you get the picture)

- if you have to have a car, get one that's more fuel efficient than whatever you are driving now

- walk, carpool, take public transportation, use a bicycle -- anything that means turning over the ignition in one's car less frequently -- a lot less

- buy food that is grown locally - food transportation uses a large amount of gasoline, especially when the average item in the grocery store has travelled 3,000 miles to get to that shelf...

- replace the gas lawn mower with an electric or manual model

- go meatless one day a week, and be sure you buy your meat from a local farmer

- turn the thermostat down in winter and up in summer - at least 2 degrees

- pay the neighborhood kid $20 to shovel your driveway instead of starting the snow-blower (okay, the Feb 2 snow was a bit more than the kid could manage...)

.... that's 11 ideas. What do you suggest for number 12?