Gas prices are still too low relative to the scarcity of this non-renewable resource and the environmental costs associated with its burning. Marginally prices have risen because of this scarcity and because American's undervalue petroleum. Burning oil causes climate change, lung damage, foreign wars, rainforest destruction, forest fragmentation, oil spills and corruption of governance. Clearly oil is going to be more expensive no matter what is done - and this signals the urgency of pursuing alternatives now rather than after the world has been razed to get the last drop of oil possible. And to foster this shift, oil should be taxed more and income and property taxed less. Duh.

Environment News Service (ENS) - Bush, Kerry Spar Over Rising Gasoline Prices

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry blasted the Bush administration Tuesday for the nation's rising gasoline prices and said the administration has done "nothing" to help consumers at the pumps. The White House in turn blamed Congress for the rising prices and said Kerry favors raising gasoline taxes, as both sides battled for advantage on an increasingly contentious issue.