cost

The average price of gas, based on a survey of 7,000 gas stations nationwide, jumped 17 cents to a record $3.79 a gallon, according to the latest Lundberg survey. In 2000, it made headlines when oil hit $30 per barrel. Since then, Asian markets have been increasingly hungry, and the supply has struggled to keep up.

Residential wind turbines costing $500 to $700 have come of age, beating other renewable energy competition for the home market on price and efficiency.

The goal of the Hawai'i Clean Energy Initiative is to use renewable resources -- such as wind, sun, ocean, geothermal, and bioenergy -- to supply 70 percent or more of Hawai'i's energy needs by 2030.  This will reduce the state's dependence on imported oil and help bring energy price stability to Hawai'i consumers.

Why do eco friendly products cost more? Maybe that's the wrong question. Perhaps we should be asking "Why are more expensive products often marketed as eco friendly?"

I hope the price of gasoline and oil doubles in the next year. Actually, I hope it increases 1000%. Why? Because super-inflated gas prices may be the only thing that wakes North America up to the need for renewable energy and social change.

A new survey of American attitudes toward combating global warming was released by New Scientist magazine, with support from Stanford University and RFF. The poll finds that most Americans want the government to establish regulatory mandates -- so long as they don"t hit consumer pocketbooks too hard.