Americans maybe won’t vote to dial back their lifestyles, but money talks and rising gas prices seem to have reached a threshold where American driving behavior has radically changed. As Joe Romm reports on Climate Progress, “In March 2008, Americans drove 246 billion miles, compared to 257 billion in March 2007. Indeed, the March 2008 figure is lower than the March 2004 figure.”
We always suspected that Americans were capable of changing core behaviors (for what is more American than the love of driving the car-car?) but once again – after WWII, the gas crisis of 1973 and the immediate aftermath of 9/11- we have solid evidence that a significant behavioral modification has taken place.
As Joe warns, though, the learning may be extinguished if gas prices drop again to $3/gallon. As I observed with rats and pigeons, intermittent and irregular reward is a strong reinforcer. So unfortunately, I have to root for gas prices staying high and higher, which will cause people to internalize their changed habits for the long run. Now bring on the plug-in electric cars!!