Lower gas prices a mixed blessing

Jan. 1, 2009

If Winnipeg drivers seem more cheerful lately, it’s likely because they finally have a reason to smile.

For the first time in almost a year, the price of gas at the pumps has dropped back down below $1 a litre.

It’s a welcome sight for more than a few sore eyes. Over the last several months, Winnipeggers have watched helplessly as gas prices climbed to record highs — an unprecedented ascent that peaked in September when some local stations were charging as much as $1.47 a litre for fuel.

Cheaper gas will be a relief for all, particularly those

struggling to make ends meet in today’s increasingly uncertain economic times.

What remains to be seen now is whether or not the price drop will affect the habits and behaviours of the average driver.

Certainly, rising prices appear to have had an impact. When gas prices first began to skyrocket, people’s

attitudes towards driving changed. To the undoubted delight of environmentalists, conservation and adaptation strategies became popular conversation topics in coffee shops, around dinner tables and on call-in radio shows, as Winnipeggers mused about canceling cross-country vacations, selling off their cottages, parking their cars and using alternative transportation options such as transit and cycling, or downsizing altogether in favour of smaller, more fuel-efficient cars.

Of course, that was then.

Now that gas prices have returned to normal — relatively

speaking — there’s a very good chance drivers will simply revert back to their old behaviors.

The sprawling layout of our city and the harsh climate we

endure for much of the year makes many Winnipeggers feel utterly

dependent on their cars. Given that neither factor will be changing

any time soon, it’s unlikely that the majority of people here will ever stop driving, no matter how high gas prices may climb or how much lip service they give the idea.

However, it’s equally unlikely that the latest price drop

will see Winnipeggers running to the nearest Hummer dealership.

Slowly but surely, a collective shift in the way we think about our cars and how we use them is happening — and this is a good thing.

The ups and downs of the last year have highlighted the negative ramifications of our continued dependency on fossil fuels, both financially and ecologically. Regardless of the current price at the pump, oil remains a finite resource, and if there’s a lesson to be learned, it’s that it’s in our best interests — both now and in the long term — to wean ourselves off of our addiction to our cars.