EcoLocalizer

Why have gas prices risen to nearly $4 a gallon (or more) in the U.S.? Is it oil speculation? Rising demand? Or the first signs of peak oil?

Whatever the cause (and there’s good reason to blame all three to some degree), most so-called experts these days aren’t expecting oil prices to drop anytime soon. In fact, Newsweek this week features a sobering article titled, “The Coming Energy Wars,” that predicts we’ll soon see oil prices top $200 a barrel. When that happens, the authors warn, we can expect everything about our daily lives to change.

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Which cities in the U.S. are best prepared to deal with the new reality of costly and/or scarce fuel? I’ve been thinking about this a lot, especially as I live in a part of the country (northwest Florida) that’s got little in the way of public transportation or walkability. On the other hand, I do live fairly close to Seaside, a community built according to the ideas of New Urbanism.

According to SustainLane’s ranking of the greenest cities in the U.S., the communities with the best options for commuting — including public transit, bicycling and walking — are Washington, D.C.; New York City; San Francisco; Boston; Philadelphia; Chicago; Baltimore; Seattle; Honolulu; and Portland, Oregon. But even cities like these could face serious problems if a down economy means fewer dollars for public transportation just when the need is greatest.

Daniel Lerch at Post Carbon Cities notes that’s already become an issue for Denver, which has seen sales tax revenues drop recently, forcing it to consider making cuts to the public transit system that depends on those tax dollars.

How does your region measure up? Post Carbon Cities features a neat Google Map showing parts of the U.S. and Canada that have taken steps to deal with the new energy reality. Among the places showing some foresight: Minnesota, whose legislature recently approved a resolution asking the governor to “prepare a plan of response and preparation to meet the challenges of Peak Oil”; Connecticut, which has launched an energy scarcity and sustainability task force; and San Francisco, which was the first city in the U.S. to approve a measure to deal with peak oil.

How are you preparing to live in a new age of pricey and hard-to-get fuel? I’m interested to hear what steps you’re taking in your part of the country: let me know!

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