Finding a silver lining to high gasoline prices

A trip to the gas pump is painful, but with a little imagination, you can find a silver lining.

When gasoline prices are up, ethanol looks all the more attractive, helping keep those new plants in our area humming.

And, there's no better incentive for saving a little gasoline -- and improving your health -- by walking to work or riding a bicycle to that meeting.

If you checked out last Friday's Car Care section, you might have noticed a number of steps you could take to increase the miles you are getting out of each tank of gas. They are mostly simple steps, like keeping your tires inflated and getting a tuneup. Being gentle with the gas pedal and driving slower in general are also easy ways to cut the fuel bill.

And, when it's time to trade off that old clunker, take a look at the most efficient vehicle that will serve your needs, instead of that giant SUV. Or, if you can afford it, how about a hybrid?

A more efficient vehicle will pay dividends for its entire life.

Besides those ethanol plants and the hundreds of people they employ, higher energy costs mean increased activity in one of Southwest Nebraska's older industries.

According to the Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in Sidney, there were nearly 240 permits for new gas and oil wells issued in 2007, the most permits issued since 1985.

And, the Board of Educational Lands and Funds, which sells leases twice a year, already had 40 applications for leases for the spring sale, compared to only 12 leases sold last year.

The price of oil -- up to $111 a barrel in recent weeks -- has made it more economically feasible for oil companies to recover oil from older, less-productive wells, and seek new ones.

Last year, Nebraska pumped out 2,334,356 barrels of crude oil, up 21,000 from last year and only the first time production has increased since 1988.

Drive through the countryside, and it's rare to see an idle pumping unit.

It's also more common to see oil crews working or on the way from one site to another.

No, we don't like paying $4 for gasoline or diesel, and the price of energy is hurting all of us, whether we're involved in agriculture or any other industry.

But paying attention to our energy use, and doing something about it when we can, will pay off in the long run.