Akkam’s Razor

Conventional wisdom is that Americans are slow to change their lifestyle in the face of adversity.   This evidence from USA Today suggests otherwise:

Americans drove 30 billion fewer miles from November through April than during the same period in 2006-07, the biggest such drop since the Iranian revolution led to gasoline supply shortages in 1979-80.

[…]

“It’s not a blip,” said Marilyn Brown, professor of energy policy at Georgia Tech, citing data showing surging transit ridership, dropping sales of sport-utility vehicles and sharply increased demand for gas-efficient vehicles. “I think the difference between now and 1979, when prices were comparable when you adjust for inflation, is there’s a sense of sustained pain. There’s a sense that the era of cheap energy is a thing of the past.”

In my opinion, this is a good thing from several perspectives.  First, it gets us moving away from oil dependence, and illustrates to the elite just how damaging our petrol addiction can be.   Secondly, it shows a willingness for some elements of society to admit reality and adjust accordingly, when they have options.   Lastly, it also shows that there is a focus on economic waste, in that better and more efficient alternatives exist.  The act of shopping, and particularly ‘winning by saving’ has a psychological reward mechanism that may ensure that these money-saving conservation behaviors continue (at the cost of time-saving, convenience,  and status-driven purchases), perhaps towards recycling, alternative energy, and the inclusion of bigger-type environmental priorities in everyday decision making.

On the downside, less miles driven has some very bad spillover effects for the economy at large.  Less miles driven results in or correlates to less commerce, reduced tax revenue, fewer car sales, lower bridge and highway tolls, and a drop off in new vehicle sales.

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