wasteful americans

We are a nation of wasteful people, unrestrained in our headlong rush toward fun and games. The product most used in this fantasyland is gasoline. Just about everybody has an automobile, sometimes two or more, and people are constantly on the highways burning the fossile fuel that contributes to global warming and a  society that avoids exercise . I can remember when we walked most of the time. When I was a chilld I walked the three miles to school in the morning and repeated the exercise again in the evening. The only time I was in an auto was during the Sunday afternoon car rides my father indulged with his family....and gasoline was about 15 cents a gallon in those days. Today we pay $3 per gallon for the privilege of becomming obese.

 

One of the most wasteful activities that has captured the public interest in NASCAR racing, which attracts 75 million fans . The most populat events include the Dayton 500, Coca Cola 600, Nextel, Auto Club 500 and Dodge Avenger 500. There are many others and the weekends are filled with rabid fans thoughout the nation. About 6,000 gallons of gasoline are consumed each race, and when the season has ended, two million gallons of fuel have vanished into smoke.

 

Despite the huge inroads racing has made on petroleum supplies, it is just a drop in the bucket compared to Americans' romance with the automobile. The general public consumes about 384.7 million gallons of gasoline per day. With our limited domestic production we are compelled to import 60.3 percent from other countries. Canada is the top producer for the United States, sending us 1,633,000 barrels per day in petroleum products. A barrel of oil is 42 gallons. Saudi Arabia is the top oil produciing country, ranking #1, and the U.S. is the top consumer in the world, ranking #1.

 

It seems to me that America should undertake a conservation effort by reducing the amount of fuel consumed and substituting walking and/or bike riding for auto rides. This may be difficult for young Americans who have become accustomed to using the auto for social activities. It is acknowledged that romance blooms in the auto, but walking and holding hands may be just as rewarding.