Daily Herald Editorial

Unrest in Libya and throughout the Middle East, as popular uprisings threaten presidents and royal families alike, is sending Americans a strong reminder that their dependence on foreign oil is most definitely not a good thing.

Events that are shaking dynasties halfway around the world are also hitting Americans in the pocketbook as key oil-producing countries are disrupted. Gasoline prices have gone up and, most believe, will go up even further, putting a strain on an already far-from-strong American economy. It’s a strain that could become serious in future years as turmoil and shortages make our nation’s dependence on oil ever riskier.

That risk underscores the need for the president, Congress and other leaders to develop a comprehensive energy plan for the nation — one that realistically addresses our need to move off the oil standard. This will be unpopular with some politicians’ oil-wealthy contributors, but it’s a step that must be taken.

At the state and local level, planners should be preparing for a day when today’s gasoline-powered vehicles are not the primary means of short-distance transportation. That inevitable change may have big consequences for the location of shopping districts, the way streets and sidewalks are planned, and for public transportation.

The unrest that is shaking the Arab world is creating only mild ripples in America, so far. But they are ripples that remind us that we need to prepare for a future when oil is neither cheap or abundant.