I don’t talk about energy conservation much because the regular folks already have this figured out.

I would feel a lot better, though, if the regular folks had a greater say about our energy policy.

When the oil price spiked in the summer of ’08, Moms all over the island were following their kids around, turning off lights. By that summer, one could see lots of big pick-up trucks in used car lots. Many more were parked along the roadsides with “For Sale” signs on their windshield.

My nephew’s family had a car and a big-tired 4-wheel drive pickup truck for work transportation. One day, my nephew told me: “Uncle, I’m going to sell my truck and get a scooter to go to work.” A young guy, selling his big-tired pickup truck, the one he used to take his pitbull riding in the back, for a scooter? There is no question that the regular folks get it about high energy costs! That consciousness is working its way through our whole society.

No, I don’t worry about the regular, rubbah slippah folks. I worry more about the folks that have no “real world” life experiences and are making survival decisions for the rest of us.